Outer space is breathtaking and not something many of us will get to experience up close. So the photos that NASA shares give us a glimpse into the wonder of the galaxy. Check out these stunning photos of stars and nebulas from NASA.

A star exploding.

This nebula, known as Caldwell 15, bears the nickname “Blinking Planetary,” because if you look through a telescope you will see only the nebula’s white central star. If you avert your gaze away from the central star, the dust cloud comes into view.

What does this remind you of? If you're thinking of a butterfly, you get a gold star. This butterfly nebula has technicolor wings of made of gas.

This image shows a section of the Cygnus supernova blast wave, which was a result of the death of a star 20 times bigger than our sun.