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.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Acknowledgment: R. Sahai (Jet Propulsion Lab) and B. Balick (University of Washington)

• European Space Agency
• Hubble Heritage Release