NASA has released an incredibly beautiful photo taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the planetary nebula M1-63.
This Hubble image shows the bipolar planetary nebula M1-63. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / L. Stanghellini.
M1-63 is a bipolar planetary nebula located in the small southern constellation of Scutum.
Also known as VV 209, IRAS 18486-1314 and 2MASS J18513095-1310367, it lies at a distance of almost 32,000 light-years from Earth.
“A nebula like this one is formed when the star at its center sheds huge quantities of material from its outer layers, leaving behind a spectacular cloud of gas and dust,” Hubble astronomers said.
“It is believed that a binary system of stars at the center of the bipolar nebula is capable of creating hourglass or butterfly-like shapes like the one in this image.”
“This is because the material from the shedding star is funneled towards its poles, with the help of the companion, creating the distinctive double-lobed structure seen in nebulae such as M1-63.”
The new image of M1-63 is made up of observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) in the ultraviolet, near-infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum.
It is based on data obtained through four filters: F200W, F350W, F502W, and F814W.
The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
