The Butterfly Nebula’s chaos

This image of NGC 6302 has been taken by Hubble in order to understand the outflow of gas and dust from the bipolar nebula’s chaotic core. A distinct S-shape can be seen in the shot, coloured a reddish-orange hue. This outflow is comparable to a garden sprinkler, where instead of water, gas is thrown out in a way that creates the Butterfly’s iconic shape. It’s thought to be the same kind of rapid spinning that’s taking place between two or more stars at the nebula’s ‘dying’ centre.