Hubble Image of "Ant Nebula"

385221 01: A Hubble Space Telescope image released February 1, 2001 of the so-called "ant nebula" (Menzel 3, or Mz3) reveals the "ant's" body as a pair of fiery lobes protruding from a dying star. The Hubble images directly challenge old ideas about the last stages in the lives of stars. By observing Sun-like stars as they approach their deaths, the Hubble Heritage image of Mz3, along with pictures of other planetary nebulae, shows that our Sun's fate probably will be more interesting, complex, and striking than astronomers imagined just a few years ago. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)