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Credit & Copyright: Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
Explanation:
A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, toward the constellation
Aquarius,
a sun-like star is dying.
Its last few thousand years have produced the
Helix
Nebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of a
Planetary
Nebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution.
A total of 90 hours of exposure time have gone in to creating
this
expansive view of the nebula.
Combining narrow band image data from emission lines of hydrogen atoms
in red and oxygen atoms in blue-green hues,
it shows remarkable details of the
Helix's brighter inner region about 3
light-years across.
The white dot at the Helix's center is this Planetary Nebula's hot,
central
star.
A simple looking nebula at first glance,
the Helix is now understood to have a surprisingly
complex
geometry.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Helix Nebula - planetary nebula - NGC 7293
Publications with words: Helix Nebula - planetary nebula - NGC 7293
See also:
- APOD: 2024 February 12 Á HFG1 & Abell 6: Planetary Nebulae
- APOD: 2023 December 24 Á NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf
- APOD: 2023 October 3 Á MyCn 18: The Engraved Hourglass Planetary Nebula
- NGC 1360: The Robin's Egg Nebula
- APOD: 2023 May 7 Á The Helix Nebula from CFHT
- APOD: 2023 April 16 Á M2 9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
- The Medusa Nebula