Template:POTD/2011-02-22
NGC 6302 is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius. Its central star, a white dwarf that was only recently discovered, is one of the hottest stars in the galaxy, with a surface temperature in excess of 200,000 K, implying that the star from which it formed must have been very large. The central star had escaped detection because of a combination of its high temperature, a dense gaseous and dusty equatorial ring that surrounds it, and the bright background from the star itself. It was not until the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope came into operation that astronomers were able to observe it.Photo: NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team