See the 'space butterfly' astronomers captured from thousands of light years away - KSL.com

So named for its resemblance to the winged insect, the "butterfly" is actually a planetary nebula -- a giant cloud of gas that forms around an ancient star that hasn't yet exploded.

The European Space Observatory's (ESO) aptly named Very Large Telescope, stationed in host country Chile, recently captured a vibrant image of the interstellar object.

The Very Large Telescope that captured the image is the "world's most advanced optical instrument," according to the ESO.