NASA has recently posted breathtaking images of the Red Spider Nebula on Instagram. Located 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius, this planetary nebula is known for hosting one of the universe’s hottest stars, with surface temperatures reaching up to 250,000°C (450,000°F).
The stunning photograph, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, showcases the nebula’s vibrant red tones and spider-like appearance. The image features a star-studded backdrop with vivid orange waves of hot gas encircling a glowing pinkish core, reminiscent of the curved legs of a black widow spider.
In their Instagram caption, NASA described the nebula: “Our @NASAHubble telescope captured this view of the Red Spider Nebula, located 3,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The nebula is home to one of the hottest stars known, which heats the surrounding gas to create shockwaves that extend 62 billion miles (100 billion km). These shockwaves form the spider-leg-like arcs visible in the image, with the star resembling a black widow’s hourglass at the center.”
The post, shared a few days ago, has received hundreds of comments from Instagram users, who have praised the image as “amazing,” “awesome,” and “beautiful.” Comments include: “The beauty of the cosmos is extraordinary,” “I wonder how it would look up close – probably wonderful and amazing,” and “Does this Red Spider Nebula have any other names or origins? Well, this is the only spider I love and am not scared of!” One user added, “Alright, this is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen today, thank you.”
Since its launch on April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has made over 1.4 million observations of nearly 47,000 celestial objects. Named after American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, the telescope has completed more than 175,000 orbits around Earth, covering approximately 4.4 billion miles during its 30-year mission.
