NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf
Explanation:
Like a
butterfly, a
white dwarf star begins its life
by casting off a cocoon that enclosed its former self.
In this analogy, however, the
Sun would be a
caterpillar and the ejected shell of gas
would become the prettiest of all!
The above cocoon, the planetary nebula designated NGC 2440,
contains one of the hottest
white dwarf stars known.
The
white dwarf can be seen as the bright dot near the photo's center.
Our Sun will eventually become a "white dwarf butterfly",
but not for another 5 billion years.
The
above false color image was post-processed by
Forrest Hamilton.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
