Planetary nebulae are like onions – they have layers :

⁣The Cat’s Eye nebula, one of the first planetary nebulae ever discovered, is particularly complex for its type. Planetary nebulae form when stars eject their outer layers of gas, resulting in spectacular shapes like the cat’s eye’s rings, knots, and jets.⁣⁣

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In this image from @NASAHubble, each visible “ring” is the outer border of a spherical dust bubble. This nebula has eleven visible shells, each created by its stars ejecting mass at 1,500-year intervals, resulting in onion-like rings from our viewpoint. The mass of each dust sphere equals the sum of all planets in our solar system combined.⁣⁣

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Image Description: The Cat’s Eye nebula stands out in light orange and blue against black space. Eleven rings are visible – changing in color from blue to orange as they reach the knotted bubbles of gas in the center. An orange jet of gas crosses diagonally through the middle.⁣⁣

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Credits: NASA, @EuropeanSpaceAgency, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: R. Corradi (Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Spain) and Z. Tsvetanov (NASA)⁣⁣

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#NASA #Nebula #CatEye #Space #Onion #Hubble

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31 December 2023