NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula

A mere seven-hundred mild years from Earth, toward the constellation Aquarius, a sun-take care of giant name is death. Its outdated few thousand years bear produced the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a nicely studied and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula, same outdated of this closing phase of stellar evolution. A total of 90 hours of publicity time bear long previous in to rising this substantial stare of the nebula. Combining narrow band image data from emission lines of hydrogen atoms in crimson and oxygen atoms in blue-green hues, it shows great tiny print of the Helix’s brighter inside of relate about 3 mild-years all over. The white dot at the Helix’s heart is this Planetary Nebula’s sizzling, central giant name. An easy looking nebula firstly search for, the Helix is now understood to bear a surprisingly complex geometry.