Butterfly star takes flight 🦋 About 460 light-years away in the Taurus star-forming region, the young protostar IRAS 04302+2247 is still cocooned in dust and gas. What you see here is a planet-forming disc edge-on: a dark lane of material hiding the star at its centre. That same dusty gas will one day fuel the birth of planets. Look closer and you’ll spot two glowing nebulae mirrored above and below — reflections of starlight that give this system its butterfly-like wings. This multiwavelength view combines the power of three observatories: - @esawebb – reveals fine dust and infrared reflections - @hubbleesa – highlights the dust lane, clumps and outflows - @alma.observatory – maps larger dust grains still settling into the disc By studying newborn stars like this, astronomers piece together the story of how our own Solar System began 4.5 billion years ago. Swipe to explore this cosmic chrysalis and save it for your space gallery. 📸 @europeanspaceagncy / Webb, @NASA & @canadia...