. This image may not be used for commercial purposes such as advertising, or in such a way as to imply endorsement of any product or service. Users must cite the author or source of the content upon publication.
The Bug Nebula, NGC 6302, is one of the brightest and most extreme planetary nebulae known. The fiery, dying star at its center is shrouded by a blanket of icy hailstones. This NASA Hubble Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 image shows impressive walls of compressed gas, laced with trailing strands and bubbling outflows.