Telescope in Chile captures stunning new picture of a cosmic butterfly - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

Scientists in Chile have captured breathtaking images of a stunning cosmic butterfly, located 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away from Earth. The remarkable picture was taken by the Gemini South telescope last month and has been released by the National Science Foundation's NoirLab.

The celestial wonder is known as the Butterfly Nebula, named aptly due to its striking resemblance to a majestic butterfly in flight. At its center lies a white dwarf star that cast off its outer layers of gas decades ago, resulting in the formation of delicate, wing-like structures billowing from the aging star's surface.

As the heat emitted by this dying star causes the gas to glow, it creates an ethereal and enchanting sight – a testament to the awe-inspiring beauty of the universe. This cosmic butterfly is not only visually stunning but also provides scientists with valuable insights into the life cycle of stars and the processes that govern their evolution.

The discovery was made in celebration of 25 years of operation by the International Gemini Observatory, which allows schoolchildren in Chile to contribute to astronomical research projects, fostering a new generation of stargazers and astronomers.

man... can u believe this?! those cosmic butterflies are literally out of this world! like, who needs sci-fi when you got real-life celestial wonders? i mean, it's amazing how scientists can capture these pics from 2,500 light-years away... that's just mind-blowing . and the fact that kids in chile get to be a part of this is just awesome! all these stars and nebulas just make me feel so small, but in a good way? like, our universe is literally full of mysteries waiting to be solved... can't wait to see what other secrets it holds .

omg u cannt even imagine how gorgeous this butterfly nebula looks its like nothing i've ever seen before!! i mean, the fact that it's 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away from us makes it even more mind-blowing. and its named after a butterfly lol its just so cool! scientists are literally uncovering these hidden gems in space and its giving me all the feels did u hear about the gemini south telescope? its like whoa i wish i could see it in person one day

I'm loving these cosmic pics! The fact that they're from 2,500-3,800 light-years away is mind-blowing, you know? It's like looking at a painting by an artist who lives in the past . I wonder how many more secrets we can uncover with tech like this. The whole thing about it being called a "butterfly nebula" makes sense, though - those wing-like structures do look like they're flying away from each other . Can't wait to see what other discoveries come out of this telescope!

Just imagine lookin' up at the night sky and seein' this beautiful butterfly just chillin', 2,500 light-years away from us ! It's like somethin' outta a dream, right? And it's not just pretty to look at, it's also helpin' us learn more about how stars are born and die. That's some cool science stuff goin' on over there!

I'm lovin' that the Gemini South telescope caught this pic - it's a reminder of all the amazin' things we can discover with our telescopes and tech . And hey, who wouldn't wanna be part of somethin' that lets schoolkids in Chile contribute to astronomy research? That's just awesome! It's great to see scientists sharin' their findings with the world and sparkin' interest in stargazin' - maybe we'll have a whole new generation of space explorers!

I mean, can you believe this? A cosmic butterfly 2,500 light-years away from us... that's just so sad. The star is dying, it's like the universe is trying to tell us that everything is gonna end up like a beautiful but tragic dance . And all this effort for what? So we can learn more about how stars die and stuff? Meanwhile, on Earth, climate change is still real and we're just sitting here looking at pictures of dying stars .

omg this cosmic butterfly is insane! like, i always knew space was pretty but this is on another level . 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away from us and it's still so beautiful? what does that even say about our universe?!?

i also love how the scientists named it the Butterfly Nebula - genius move . it's like they knew exactly what we'd be fascinated by when they saw these pics.

and can we talk about how cool it is that this discovery is celebrating 25 years of the International Gemini Observatory? i mean, schoolkids in Chile getting to contribute to research projects? that's amazing . maybe one day we'll have a new generation of space explorers!

I just saw the most incredible pic of a cosmic butterfly and I'm literally speechless . I mean, can you believe scientists managed to capture that? It's like something out of a sci-fi movie ! And it's not just pretty to look at, but it's also helping us learn more about the universe and how stars live their lives . The fact that this discovery came from the Gemini South telescope is even cooler - I love that schoolkids in Chile got to contribute to it too . It's such a great reminder of just how amazing our universe is and how much we still have to learn about it . Keep exploring, keep discovering, and who knows what other secrets the universe will reveal to us next !

omg can u believe this?? scientists just captured this insane pic of a cosmic butterfly 2500 light yrs away it's like a real life video game but its actually the universe!!! i'm literally in awe, how do they even capture these things? and the fact that it's helping us learn more about stars is just wow what a great way to celebrate 25 yrs of the international gemini observatory too! it's so cool that schoolkids in chile are already contributing to research projects, who knows maybe they'll discover the next big thing!

I'm low-key impressed with these cosmic butterfly pics they're like something straight outta sci-fi! I mean, who wouldn't want to see a 2,500-3,800 light-year old butterfly floating around in space? It's wild to think about how we can learn so much from this thing - like, the whole life cycle of stars and all that. And it's cool that it's helping out these school kids in Chile get involved in astronomy research too

Can you even imagine seeing something like this in person?! I mean, 2,500 light-years away is still crazy to think about! And that name "Butterfly Nebula" is actually kind of fitting, it's like looking at a painting or a work of art. The fact that we're learning so much more about the life cycle of stars and how they evolve is just mind-blowing . I'm also loving that this discovery happened during the Gemini Observatory's 25-year anniversary celebration - what an amazing way to keep inspiring young minds in Chile!

I mean, can you even imagine seeing something like this with your own eyes? It's like, whoa! The idea that scientists managed to capture an image of this cosmic butterfly is just mind-blowing . I'm talking 2,500 to 3,800 light-years away from us, and they still managed to snap a photo of it .

I think what's really cool about the Butterfly Nebula is how it's helping us learn more about stars and their life cycles ️. It's like, scientists are able to study this dying star and see how its heat causes the gas to glow, creating these beautiful wing-like structures . And it's not just visually stunning – it's also providing us with valuable information that can help us better understand the universe .

It's also pretty amazing that schoolchildren in Chile get to contribute to astronomical research projects through this observatory . I mean, who wouldn't want to be a part of something that's helping us learn more about the cosmos? It's like, they're helping to pave the way for the next generation of astronomers and stargazers .

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this Butterfly Nebula thingy... I mean, 2,500 light-years away from us and it's literally a butterfly, wow . It's crazy to think about how the heat from that white dwarf star is making those gas structures glow like that. It's almost as if the universe is putting on this cosmic show just for us. And I love that it's giving scientists new info about star life cycles and stuff... but what really gets me is that it's all thanks to some school kids in Chile contributing to this research project . Like, who knew astronomy could be so accessible? Anyway, back to the butterfly... can someone tell me more about how long it takes for light from these stars to reach us?

OMG this pic is insane ! I mean, can you even imagine what it's like to see something so beautiful from 2,500 light-years away? It's like the universe is giving us a sneak peek into its magic . And that name 'Butterfly Nebula' is just perfect - it totally captures the essence of this stunning cosmic creature ! I'm so stoked to hear about the new gen of scientists being supported by the Gemini South telescope . It's amazing to think that schoolkids in Chile are contributing to such epic research projects . This just makes me wanna learn more about space and all its secrets !

OMG, this cosmic butterfly is literally out of this world ! I mean, can you even imagine seeing something like that in person? It's like looking at a movie of the stars, but it's real life ! The fact that it's been floating around for 2,500 to 3,800 years and we're just now getting to see its beauty is wild. I love how scientists are able to capture these incredible images with their telescopes – it's like having a front-row seat to the universe's most epic show ! And on a more serious note, it's awesome that schoolkids in Chile get to be a part of this astronomical research project – the future of space exploration is in good hands .

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

I'm just mind-blown by this cosmic butterfly pic! Like whoa... 2,500 light-years away and it still looks so stunning. It's crazy how these scientists managed to capture that beauty with the Gemini South telescope. The fact that it helps us understand more about stars and their life cycles is pretty cool too. I love that schoolkids in Chile got a chance to contribute to this project - it's amazing how astronomy can inspire a new gen of stargazers!

I'm literally blown away by this cosmic butterfly thingy ! Can you even imagine what it's like to be 2,500 light-years away from us, yet we can see its beauty with our own eyes? It's just mind-blowing, you know? I mean, I've seen some cool things in my physics class, but this is on a whole different level . And the fact that it's helping scientists learn more about stars and their life cycles is like, totally amazing! I wish we had something like that at our school , maybe they could get some new telescopes or something? It would be so cool to study space and make discoveries like this!

omg this is insane!! like i've seen pictures of nebulas before but never something so cool as a butterfly nebula it's like the universe is trying to tell us something with all these beautiful shapes and colors... do you think it's possible for us to travel to other star systems in our lifetime? i mean, we've got spacecraft that can reach mars but 2500 light years is like, whoa... also what's up with the name "noirlab" sounds so cool!