Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Planetary Nebula Mz3: The Ant Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for July 13, 2025 is “Planetary Nebula Mz3: The Ant Nebula,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , ESA , R. Sahai ( JPL ) et al., Hubble Heritage Team. The original explanation runs about 160 words.

A dark starfield appears around an unusually shaped nebula. The nebula has two main lobes on the left and the right and may seem to resemble an ant. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , R. Sahai ( JPL ) et al., Hubble Heritage Team Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why isn’t this ant a big sphere? Planetary nebula Mz3 is being cast off by a star similar to our Sun that is, surely, round.”

— APOD editors, July 13, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
July 13, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , R. Sahai ( JPL ) et al., Hubble Heritage Team
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 160 words

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Topics in this entry

The SunNebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: July 13 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.