Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2025 September 8
   [2]A starfield surrounds a nebula with a vertical brown bar across its
   center. Gas and dust fan out from the bar making the nebula appear like
     a colorful butterfly. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                 IRAS 04302: Butterfly Disk Planet Formation
      Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]Webb; Processing: [7]M.
                             Villenave [8]et al.

   Explanation: This butterfly can hatch planets. The nebula fanning out
   from the star [9]IRAS 04302+2247 may look like the wings of a
   [10]butterfly, while the vertical brown stripe down the center may look
   like the butterfly's body -- but [11]together they indicate an active
   [12]planet-forming system. The [13]featured picture was captured
   recently in [14]infrared light by the [15]Webb Space Telescope.
   Pictured, the vertical disk is thick with the gas and [16]dust from
   which planets form. The disk shades [17]visible and (most) infrared
   light from the central star, allowing a good view of the surrounding
   dust that [18]reflects out light. In the next few million years, the
   [19]dust disk will likely [20]fragment into rings through the gravity
   of newly hatched planets. And a [21]billion years from now, the
   remaining gas and dust will likely dissipate, leaving mainly the
   planets -- like in [22]our Solar System.

               Explore the Universe: [23]Random APOD Generator
                      Tomorrow's picture: up from Earth
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    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply.
            [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices;
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2509/IrasDisk_Webb_2045.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
   7. https://youtu.be/z_DAOxR98T4
   8. https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.07668
   9. https://esawebb.org/videos/potm2508a/
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly#/media/File:Maculinea_arion_Large_Blue_Upperside_SFrance_2009-07-18.jpg
  11. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024ApJ...961...95V/abstract
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/how-do-planets-form/
  13. https://esawebb.org/images/potm2508a/
  14. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves/
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust
  17. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight/
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap121026.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230511.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250827.html
  21. https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cqaVRijvu7UFERhoD2cWpH.png
  22. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/home
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250907.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250908
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250909.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/