... This planetary nebula's simple, graceful appearance is thought to be due to perspective -- our view from planet Earth looking straight into what is actually a barrel-shaped cloud of gas shrugged off by a dying central star. Stars and Planets in the Halo of the Moon . ... Planet Jupiter and stars Procyon, Castor, and Pollux also appear within the circle of lunar light. ... Jupiter's Great Dark Spot . ... Over the course of just a few days, the rogue star became brighter than the planet Venus. ...