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Astro-Entomology? Ant-like Space Structure Previews Death of Our Sun

The Ant Nebula (Menzel 3): Fiery Lobes Protrude From Dying, Sun-like Star
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 ground-based telescopes, this cosmic object -- the glowing remains of a dying, Sun-like star -- resembles the head and thorax of a garden-variety ant. But this dramatic Hubble telescope image of the so-called "ant nebula" (Menzel 3, or Mz 3) shows even more detail, revealing the "ant's" body as a pair of fiery lobes protruding from the dying star.

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Last Updated
Mar 20, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

Credits

NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA);
Acknowledgment: R. Sahai (Jet Propulsion Lab) and B. Balick (University of Washington)