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Credit & Copyright: Don Goldman
Explanation:
A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, in 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 28.5 hours of exposure time have gone in to creating
this deep
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, but also follows fainter
outer halo
features that give the nebula a span of well over six light-years.
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
Publications with words: Helix Nebula - planetary nebula
See also: