The Bug Nebula
Charles Johnson
Fri Apr 30, 2004 at 4:48 pm PDT • Views: 258
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This image, released April 29, 2004, of the Bug Nebula (NGC 6302) taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows impressive walls of compressed gas, laced with trailing strands and bubbling outflows. A dark, dusty torus surrounds the inner nebula (seen at the upper right). At the heart of the turmoil is one of the hottest stars known. Despite a sizzling temperature of at least 250,000 degrees C, the star itself has never been seen, as it is hidden by the blanket of dust and shines most brightly in the ultraviolet, making it hard to observe.
Frank says: