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Credit: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope
Explanation:
Three thousand light years away, a dying star throws off shells of glowing
gas. This Hubble Space Telescope image reveals "The Cat's Eye Nebula"
to be one of the most complex "planetary nebulae" known. In fact, the
features seen in this image are so complex that astronomers
suspect the visible central star may actually be a double star system.
The term planetary nebula, used to describe this general class of
objects, is misleading. Although these objects may appear round and
planet-like in small telescopes, high resolution images reveal them to
be stars surrounded by cocoons of gas blown off in the late stages of
evolution.
Latest APOD Featuring this Image: July 4, 1996
For more information see NASA Space Telescope Scientific Institute press release.
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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: nebula - Cat's Eye Nebula
Publications with words: nebula - Cat's Eye Nebula
See also: