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:

NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

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

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
489.8 KB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
336.6 KB

Print Layout

/Media/Archives/Images/Pl_Thumbs/Heic0101A.Jpg
r.titleScreensize JPEG
239.3 KB

Wallpapers

r.title1024x768
496.1 KB
r.title1280x1024
708.8 KB
r.title1600x1200
937.2 KB
r.title1920x1200
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r.title2048x1536
1.3 MB

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


Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
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
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