Ants in space?
From ground-based telescopes, the so-called "ant nebula" (Menzel 3, or Mz 3) resembles the head and thorax of a garden-variety ant. This dramatic NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image, showing 10 times more detail, reveals the "ant's" body as a pair of fiery lobes protruding from a dying, Sun-like star.
The Hubble images directly challenge old ideas about the last stages in the lives of stars. By observing Sun-like stars as they approach their deaths, the Hubble Heritage image of Mz 3 - along with pictures of other planetary nebulae - shows that our Sun's fate probably will be more interesting, complex, and striking than astronomers imagined just a few years ago.
Credit:About the Image
| Id: | heic0101a |
|---|---|
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 1 February 2001, 15:00 |
| Related releases: | heic0101 |
| Size: | 1072 x 708 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Ant Nebula, Menzel 3, PN Mz 3 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Planetary |
| Distance: | 8000 light years |
| Constellation: | Norma |
| Category: | Nebulae |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 16 17 13.36 |
|---|---|
| Position (Dec): | -51° 59' 10.10" |
| Field of view: | 1.78 x 1.17 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 100.1° right of vertical |
View in ESASky:
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical Oiii | 502 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
| Optical H-alpha | 656 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
| Optical Nii | 658 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
| Optical Sii | 673 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |