APOD: 2026 May 27 Б PK 164 +31.1: The Headphone Nebula
Explanation:
What is a pair of headphones doing in the sky? TodayБs image features the Headphone
Nebula, also known as
PK 164 +31.1 or
Jones-Emberson 1.
This
planetary nebula,
the remnant of a
dying
Sun-like star,
faintly
occupies an
angular
region of
the Lynx constellation
about 1/5
th the diameter of the full moon. The red and blue-ish green
colors trace hydrogen and oxygen atoms,
respectively, that have been
excited and ionized
by the nebula's central
white dwarf.
The headphone shape, where two lobes of hydrogen puncture the inner region of oxygen,
adds this object to a long list of
oddly
shaped nebulae.
The morphology of such strange nebulae hint at the presence of
a
stellar or planetary companion,
which can stir the material flowing out from the dying star. You can listen to
Hubble
and
JWST
sonifications
of planetary nebulae through your very own headphones!
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.
