星云的肖像

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features an impressive portrait of M1-63, an example of a bipolar planetary nebula located in the constellation of Scutum (the Shield). A nebula like this one is formed when the star at its center sheds huge quantities of material from its outer layers, leaving behind a spectacular cloud of gas and dust.

It is believed that a binary system of stars at the center of the bipolar nebula is capable of creating hourglass or butterfly-like shapes like the one in this image. This is because the material from the shedding star is funneled toward its poles, with the help of the companion, creating the distinctive double-lobed structure seen in nebulae such as M1-63.

Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, L. Stanghellini

来自NASA/ESA哈勃太空望远镜拍摄到一张M1-63的令人印象深刻的照片，这是位于盾星座的双极行星星云的一个例子。这样的星云是当其中心的恒星从外层释放出大量物质时形成的，留下了壮观的气体和尘埃云团。

人们相信，位于双极星云中心的双星系统能够创造出沙漏形或蝴蝶形的形状，就像这张图中的那样。这是因为在伴星的帮助下，脱落恒星的物质向两极漏斗状聚集，形成了在M1-63星云中可见的独特的双瓣结构。

图片来源：ESA/Hubble & NASA, L. Stanghellini