JHK Color image of M 2-9

Planetary Nebula M 2-9 ("The Butterfly")

Near-infrared ``true color'' image of the planetary nebula M 2-9, a star in its final stages of evolution. Broadband J, H, and K (1.2, 1.6, 2.2 microns) are plotted as blue, green, and red, respectively. This image shows clearly a resolved photodissociation region in the lobes of the nebula. The inner walls of the nebula and the N and S knots are blue and dominated by emission from Paschen Beta hydrogen line. The outer walls are red from strong molecular hydrogen line emission in the K-band. These data were acquired with the U. Hawaii 2.2 meter telescope on Mauna Kea (Hora, J. L., and Latter, W. B. 1994, ApJ, 437, 281).

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Last modified 1998 September 9