The Helix Nebula from Blanco and Hubble
Explanation:
How did a star create the
Helix nebula?
The shapes of
planetary nebula like the
Helix are important because they
likely hold clues to how stars like the
Sun end their lives.
Observations by the orbiting
Hubble Space Telescope and the
4-meter Blanco Telescope in
Chile, however, have shown the
Helix is not really a
simple helix.
Rather, it incorporates two
nearly perpendicular disks as well as arcs, shocks, and even
features not well understood.
Even so, many strikingly geometric symmetries remain.
How a single Sun-like star created such beautiful yet
geometric complexity is a topic of research.
The Helix Nebula is the nearest
planetary nebula to Earth, lies only about 700
light years away toward the constellation of
Aquarius, and spans about 3 light-years.
APOD Wall Calendar:
Nebulas and Star Clusters
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.
