Astronomy Picture of the Day . ... Like a butterfly, a white dwarf star begins its life by casting off a cocoon that enclosed its former self. ... A massive star ends life as a supernova, blasting its outer layers back to interstellar space. ... The picture is a combination of three images taken in January of this year with the Hubble's new NICMOS instrument and shows the lovely ringed planet in reflected infrared light. Three Dusty Stars . ... Water From Orion . ... Star Wars in NGC 664 . ...