The Helix Nebula from La Silla Observatory
Explanation:
Will our
Sun
look like this one day?
The
Helix Nebula is one of brightest and closest examples of a planetary nebula, a gas
cloud created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star.
The outer gasses of the star
expelled into space appear from our
vantage point as if we are looking down a
helix.
The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a
white dwarf star, glows in light so
energetic it causes the previously expelled gas to
fluoresce.
The
Helix Nebula, given a technical designation of
NGC 7293,
lies about 700
light-years away towards the
constellation of
Aquarius
and spans about 2.5 light-years.
The
above picture was taken by the
Wide Field Imager on the
2.2-meter Telescope at the
European Southern Observatory's
La Silla Observatory.
A
close-up
of the
inner edge of the
Helix Nebula shows complex gas knots of
unknown origin.
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.
