Editing Mz 3 (section)

{{Short description|Planetary nebula in the constellation Norma}}
{{ Planetary nebula |
| image = [[Image:Ant Nebula.jpg|250px]]
|caption=The Ant Nebula taken by [[Hubble Space Telescope]] in 2008
| name = Ant Nebula
| type = Planetary
| epoch = [[J2000]]
| ra = {{RA|16|17|13.392}}<ref name="simbad">{{Harvnb|SIMBAD|2006}}</ref>
| dec = {{DEC|-51|59|10.31}}<ref name="simbad" />
| dist_ly = [[1 E19 m|~8,000]] [[light-year|ly]] (~2,500 [[parsec|pc]])<ref name="Smith2003" />
| appmag_v = 13.8<ref name="pn" />
| size_v = >50{{pprime}} × 12{{pprime}}<ref name="Smith2003" />
| constellation = [[Norma (constellation)|Norma]]
| radius_ly = 1.0 ly{{Ref_label|A|a|none}}
| absmag_v = 1.8{{Ref_label|B|b|none}}
| notes = Three nested pairs of bipolar lobes
| names = ESO 225-9,<ref name="simbad" /> Ant Nebula,<ref name="simbad" /><br/>
Chamber of Horrors{{Ref_label|C|c|none}}
}}

'''Mz 3''' ('''Menzel 3''') is a young [[bipolar nebula|bipolar]] [[planetary nebula]] (PN) in the constellation [[Norma (constellation)|Norma]] that is composed of a bright core and four distinct high-velocity outflows that have been named lobes, columns, rays, and [[chakram]].  These nebulosities are described as: two spherical bipolar lobes, two outer large filamentary [[hour-glass]] shaped columns, two cone shaped rays, and a planar radially expanding, elliptically shaped chakram.<ref name="Santanderetal2004">{{Harvnb|Santander-García|Corradi|Balick|Mampaso|2004}}</ref><ref name="Zhangeta2006">{{Harvnb|Zhang|Liu|2006}}</ref>
Mz 3 is a complex system composed of three nested pairs of bipolar lobes and an equatorial ellipse.<ref name="Guerreroeta2004">{{Harvnb|Guerrero|Chu|Miranda|2004}}</ref>
Its lobes all share the same axis of symmetry but each have very different morphologies and opening angles.<ref name="Guerreroeta2004" />
It is an unusual [[Planetary nebula|PN]] in that it is believed, by some researchers, to contain a symbiotic binary at its center.<ref name="Zhangeta2006" />
One study suggests that the dense nebular gas at its center may have originated from a source different from that of its extended lobes.<ref name="Zhangeta2006" />   The working model to explain this hypothesizes that this PN is composed of a giant companion that caused a central dense gas region to form, and a [[white dwarf]] that provides ionizing photons for the PN.<ref name="Zhangeta2006" />

Mz 3 is often referred to as the '''Ant Nebula''' because it resembles the head and [[thorax]] of a garden-variety [[ant]].