Scientists believe that the Milky Way is not only flying at 600 km/s, but also “flapping its wings”. In this image taken with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, the butterfly-shaped nebula NGC 2899 appears to float in the vacuum of space. But this cosmic gas bubble, located between 3,000 and 6,500 light-years away, is not as serene as the winged insect it resembles. In fact, this planetary nebula was formed by the death of one of the two stars that astronomers believe reside at its center. Astronomers believe that one of the two stars shed its outer layers at the end of its life, while the other is now dancing in a stream of gas from its neighbor, creating this stunning cosmic butterfly. The gas extends up to two light-years from the nebula’s center, glowing against the backdrop of the Milky Way. This gas can reach temperatures of over 10,000 degrees, thanks to radiation from the parent stars buried within.