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LEDA 22057
Pale blue (supernova) dot
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week features the galaxy LEDA 22057, which is located about 650 million light-years away in the constellation Gemini. Like the subject of last week’s Picture of the Week, LEDA 22057 is the site of a supernova explosion. This particular...
PNG 262.4-01.9
Planetary Nebula PNG 262.4-01.9
This is the planetary nebula PNG 262.4-01.9. A planetary nebula is a region of cosmic gas and dust formed from the cast-off outer layers of a dying star. This object is one of the many cosmic treasures found within the new 1.3 gigapixel Vela Supernova Remnant image, captured with the Department...
Helix Nebula
The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293
This composite picture is a seamless blend of nine ultra-sharp images from the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys with the wide-field view of the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The image shows a fine web of filamentary...
PN PuWe 1
Planetary Nebula PuWe 1
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. PuWe 1 is one of the largest and faintest planetary nebula known to exist. The nebula was created when a red giant star blew off its outer layers near the end...
HFG1
Planetary Nebula HFG1
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. HFG1 is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It was produced by a binary star system (V664 Cas) that is moving rapidly through our Galaxy....
PN M 2-53
Not a Planet
This gorgeous image resembles an inky patch of space that has been smudged by a giant celestial thumbprint. Actually the object is a planetary nebula named PN M 2-53. It was imaged using the Gemini North telescope of the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. Planetary...
IC 5148
Blooming of the Spare Tyre Nebula
IC 5148, nicknamed the Spare Tyre Nebula, is a beautiful planetary nebula located about 3000 light-years away near the ‘neck’ of the southern constellation Grus (The Crane). This image, captured with the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF...
Sh2-42
A Giant’s Funeral Pyre
This image shows the planetary nebula Sh2-42 in the constellation Sagittarius, and was captured by using the SMARTS 0.9-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. Despite the name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets — they are...
EGB 6
A Dead Star’s Shroud
This image, which looks a little like an enormous bubble in space, features a planetary nebula known as EGB 6. It was imaged by the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. Planetary nebulae, notoriously, have nothing to do with...
CVMP 1
Gemini South Captures Planetary Nebula CVMP 1
The international Gemini Observatory composite color image of the planetary nebula CVMP 1 imaged by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope on Cerro Pachón in Chile.
PN K 3-46
A ‘Butterfly’ from Death’s Door
This ghostly, butterfly-shaped planetary nebula, captured with Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, is known as Kohoutek 3-46. Kohoutek 3-46 derives its name from the prolific...
Sh2-68
Planetary Nebula Sh2-68
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Sh2-68 is an ancient planetary nebula that is estimated to be at least 45,000 years old. The diffuse orange emission to the upper right is the result of the...
NGC 5189
Nebula NGC 5189
NGC 5189 imaged at Gemini South. NGC 5189, a chaotic-looking planetary nebula that lies about 550 parsecs (1,800 light-years) away in the southern hemisphere constellation Musca, is a parallelogram-shaped cloud of glowing gas. The GMOS image of this nebula shows long streamers of gas, glowing...
NGC 246
Skull Nebula NGC 246
Gemini South Image of the planetary nebula NGC 246 NGC 246 is a planetary nebula that lies about 1,600 light-years away in the constellation Cetus. Its central star shines at 12th magnitude and is whisking through space at about 80 kilometers (50 miles) per second.
Sh2-290
Planetary Nebula Sh2-290
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Sh2-290 is an ancient planetary nebula. A planetary nebula is created when a low-mass star blows off its outer layers at the end of its life. Sh2-290 is one...
Dumbbell Nebula
M27 Dumbbell Nebula
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. M27, also known as the 'Dumbbell Nebula', is a famous planetary nebula. The central portion of the nebula is quite bright, however it also has a faint outer...
Abell 74
Planetary Nebula Abell 74
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Abell 74 is an ancient planetary nebula. Because of its age it is a very faint target. Ancient planetary nebulae are often distorted in shape due to...
Dumbbell Nebula
Emission line image of M27
This excellent image of the Dumbbell Nebula (M27, NGC6853), a planetary nebula in the constellation of Vulpecula, was taken at the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope using the mini-mosaic imager (described in an NOAO newsletter article). The nebula was formed when an evolved, red giant star ejected its...
HDW 3
Planetary Nebula HDW 3
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Hartl-Dengel-Weinberger 3 (HDW 3) is a large, ancient planetary nebula. Its distinctive braided shape is the result of the planetary nebula colliding with the...
MWP1
Planetary Nebula MWP1
None This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. MWP1 is a very usually shaped, unusually large, and unusually old, planetary nebulae. The progenitor star is also one of the hottest stars known, so hot...
PN G75.5+1.7
Soap Bubble Nebula, PN G75.5+1.7
Informally known as the "Soap Bubble Nebula", this planetary nebula (officially known as PN G75.5+1.7) was discovered by amateur astronomer Dave Jurasevich on July 6th, 2008. It was noted and reported by Keith Quattrocchi and Mel Helm on July 17th, 2008. This image was obtained with the Kitt...
k61
k61 Planetary Nebula
Gemini Observatory image of Kronberger 61 showing the ionized shell of expelled gas resembling a soccer ball. The light of the nebula is primarily due to ionized oxygen (oxygen-III) emission and its central star can be seen as the slightly bluer star very close to the center of the nebula. The...
NGC 6559
Chinese Dragon NGC 6559
Gemini South image of dragon-like dark nebula NGC 6559 NGC 6559 is a relatively small, nearby dust cloud in our Milky Way galaxy that measures about seven light-years across. NGC 6559 is part of a larger star-forming region in the southern constellation Sagittarius. The dark structure that...
Dumbbell Nebula
Emission line image of M27
This excellent image of the Dumbbell Nebula (M27, NGC6853), a planetary nebula in the constellation of Vulpecula, was taken at the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope using the mini-mosaic imager (described in an NOAO newsletter article). The nebula was formed when an evolved, red giant star ejected its...
M2-9
M2-9 with Adaptive Optics
Color composite adaptive optics image of the planetary nebula M2-9 using the ALTAIR adaptive optics system on Gemini North. This image reveals remarkable details in the dynamic gas outflows from a dying star. It is thought that our Sun might meet a similar fate in 4-5 billion years once its...
Glowing Eye Nebula
NGC 6751 Glowing Eye Nebula
Gemini South image of planetary nebula NGC 6751, the "Glowing Eye Nebula." The image is the result of the winning entry in the 2009 Gemini School Astronomy Contest, submitted by high school student Daniel Tran of PAL College, Cabramatta, NSW, Australia. Using narrow-band filters in the imaging...
NGC 7009
AO Image NGC 7009
This Gemini North image shows the well-known planetary nebula NGC 7009 (the Saturn Nebula) in the near infrared with adaptive optics. The image has a full-width-half-maximum of 0.1 arcsecond (K band) and was produced by combining ALTAIR/NIRI images in K, Br-gamma, and H₂ (1-0) bands. The data...
Sh2-174
Planetary Nebula Sh2-174
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Sh2-174 is an unusual ancient planetary nebula. A planetary nebula is created when a low-mass star blows off its outer layers at the end of its life. The core...
Medusa Nebula
Medusa nebula, Abell 21
The Medusa nebula, known scientifically as Abell 21, is an old planetary nebula some 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Gemini. It is estimated to be over 4 light-years across. This image was taken on Oct 24th, 2008 at the Mayall telescope with the mosaic camera, with [OIII] (assigned...
Sh2-188
Sharpless 2-188 (Sh2-188)
This image shows off the impressive imaging capabilities of the new CCD detectors in the Mosaic 1.1 camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The image is of Sharpless 2-188 (Sh2-188), an unusual planetary nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia. The...
Ear Nebula
IPHASX J205013.7+465518, the Ear Nebula
None This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Informally known as the "Ear Nebula", this relatively old and very faint planetary nebula was discovered by the INT/WFC Photometric H-alpha Survey of the...
PN A66 39
Planetary nebula Abell 39
Abell 39, the 39th entry in a catalog of large nebulae discovered by George Abell in 1966, is a beautiful example of a planetary nebula. It was chosen for study by George Jacoby (WIYN Observatory), Gary Ferland (University of Kentucky), and Kirk Korista (Western Michigan University) because of...
Sh2-71
Complex Planetary Nebula Sh2-71
Gemini Legacy image of the complex planetary nebula Sh2-71 as imaged by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on Gemini North on Mauna Kea in Hawai‘i. The long-assumed central star is the brightest star near the center, but some astronomers wonder if the much dimmer and bluer star (just to the...
KjPn8
Bipolar Planetary Nebula KjPn8 (PN G112.5-00.1)
This image was taken with the KPNO Mayall 4-meter telescope on November 5, 2010. Located in the constellation of Cassiopeia, KjPn8 (also known as PN G112.5-00.1) is a very unusual bipolar planetary nebula. Its complex structure is the result of irregular ejections of gas in different...
Butterfly Nebula
NGC 2346
This near-infrared image obtained with GeMS adaptive optics system reveals the fine detail inside NGC 2346, a planetary nebula informaly also known as the 'Butterfly Nebula.' At the center of the nebula is a binary star system.
Dumbbell Nebula
M27, NGC 6853, Dumbbell Nebula
This true color picture was taken using Ektachrome film at the prime focus of the Kitt Peak 4m telescope on July 2nd 1973. This is unusual: normally color images are made by combining black and white images taken through different colored filters. The Dumbbell Nebula (M27, NGC6853) is a...
Dumbbell Nebula
M27, NGC 6853, Dumbbell Nebula
The Dumbbell Nebula, Messier object 27 (M27), NGC 6853, in the constellation Vulpecula, as seen by the Kitt Peak 4-meter Mayall telescope in 1988. This false colour image was made from a combination of two CCD frames, taken at the Kitt Peak 4m telescope in 1988. Each image was processed to...
Jones 1
Jones 1, PK 104-29.1
PK 104-29.1, also known as "Jones 1", is a very faint, ghostlike planetary nebula in the constellation of Pegasus. This image was taken at the Mayall telescope with the Mosaic camera, with [OIII] (assigned a blue color) and H-alpha (orange) filters. In the image North is up and East is to the...
Abell 43
Abell 43
Abell 43 is one of a handful of challenging planetary nebula to detect in any way. Even using a sensitive CCD camera under dark skies barely hints on the intricate lace-like network of detail in this sphere of gas. This nebula has a spherical nature like that of Abell 39, and the complex...
M97
Gemini North image of the planetary nebula M97
Gemini North image of the planetary nebula M97, also knownas the Owl Nebula, imaged by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) as part of a Canadian contest for high school students. The approximately 6,000year-old nebula is located about 2,600 light-years away, and has a diameter ofabout...
Ghost of Jupiter
Ghost of Jupiter, NGC 3242
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic Camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory on December 15th, 2006. This wide-field image shows the extended cloud of gas near the planetary nebula NGC 3242. Also known as the “Ghost of Jupiter”, NGC...
Abell 39
Abell 39
Abell 39 is perhaps one of the most perfect examples of a spherical planetary nebula in the galaxy. As expected, a sphere of gas will show a brighter limb ("edge") since that line of sight has more gas than the view through the center (two layers) of the bubble. This one is unfortunately very...
Medusa nebula
PK205+14.1: The Medusa Nebula
The Medusa Nebula is a very ancient planetary nebula in the constellation of Gemini. Note that the inner bubble still has hints of blue and green structure, indicating that the central star (the slightly bluish one to the right of center) is still hot and makes the gas fluoresce. This image was...
M15
M15
The extremely bright and concentrated globular cluster, M15, is home to a unique planetary nebula called Pease 1. M15 is one of three globular clusters known to harbor a planetary nebula. For comparison, check out the Hubble Space Telescope image of this cluster. This image was taken as part of...
NGC 7008
NGC 7008
Sometimes nicknamed the Fetus, this planetary nebula is located about 2800 lightyears away in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Remember that planetary nebulae are regions of stellar death, not birth as the nickname "Fetus" would imply. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing...
NGC 7094
NGC 7094
This planetary nebula is located in the constellation Pegasus, near the globular cluster M15. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.
NGC 7139
NGC 7139
This faint planetary nebula is located about 4300 lightyears away in the constellation Cepheus. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.
NGC 7048
NGC 7048
This beautiful planetary nebula is located within the rich constellation of Cygnus the Swan. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.
NGC 6894
NGC 6894
NGC 6894 is a seemingly typical planetary nebula. It has a diffuse spherical outer shell with a more convoluted inner structure. The overall pinkish color to this nebula may be due to the reddening of light caused by intervening clouds of gas and dust in this direction. This nebula also has a...
NGC 6302
NGC 6302: The Butterfly Nebula
This planetary nebula, which looks remarkably like a butterfly, is located about 3800 lightyears away in the constellation Scorpius. To see it in higher resolution, take a peek at the Hubble Space Telescope's image using the WFC3 instrument. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing...
NGC 246
NGC 246
NGC 246 is a rather lonely and large planetary nebula in Cetus. In this example the distorted sphere of gas has many thin and thicker regions giving it an irregular "texture." Like most spherical clouds of gas the outer edges seem brighter than the center which appears void. This is a...
NGC 4361
NGC 4361
This planetary nebula is located in the constellation Corvus. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured an infrared image of this object as well, which provides a nice comparison. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.
Abell 70
Abell 70
In a universe such as ours, even the highly unlikely seems to happen surprisingly often. Here the superposition of two objects, a foreground planetary nebula and a background galaxy, make a striking diamond-ring effect. Indeed the carbon that makes a diamond would be found in the extended...
PK 131-5.1
BV 5-3 (PK 131-5.1)
In physics and astronomy symmetry and simplicity are the guiding precepts for the description of the universe. Few things exemplify this idea better than planetary nebula. This small and nearly perfectly spherical shell of gas glows due to the intense ultra-violet radiation of the central star....
Egg Nebula
The Egg Nebula
This object is classified as a bipolar protoplanetary nebula - bipolar due to its symmetric, two-component structure and protoplanetary because it is the precursor to a true planetary nebula. It is about 3000 lightyears away in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. This image was taken as part of...
PGC 54599
Hoagʼs Galaxy: PGC 54599
Perhaps this object should have been placed with the other Planetary Nebulae found in our galaxy? You would not be the first person to make the suggestion. In 1950 when astronomer Art Hoag noticed this galaxy on a survey of plates, he remarked that it first seemed like a planetary nebula- but...
M57
M57, NGC 6720, Ring Nebula
The Ring Nebula, M57, NGC6720 This true color picture was taken using Ektachrome film at the prime focus of the Kitt Peak 4m telescope on September 1st 1973. This is unusual: normally color images are made by combining black and white images taken through different colored filters. The Ring...
Sh2-71
SH2-71
SH2-71 is a complex bipolar planetary nebula. Its convoluted nature is probably due to the fact that the central star is a binary system. The overall luminosity of this nebula is over 1000 times that of our sun. The gases near the center are being pushed away from the central star are...
M46
M46, NGC 2437
M46 is a rich open star cluster in the constellation Puppis. Within a diameter of 28 arc minutes, or about 30 light-years at its distance of 5400 light-years, M46 contains over 150 bright stars and a total population perhaps over 500. M46 is probably around 300 million years old. It is also...
Helix Nebula
The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293
The Helix Nebula, NGC7293, in the constellation Aquarius, as seen by the Kitt Peak 4-meter Mayall telescope in 1973. NGC7293 is about a light-year across and, at a distance of about 500 light-years, it is the closest known planetary nebula. North is at the top.
M57
Ring Nebula, M57 (NGC 6720)
This is a two-minute exposure taken on the night of September 26th 1994 (UT of observation 27/09/94:04:21). This photograph shows a region 150 arc seconds square. The black-and-white images have been compressed in brightness (approximately a double logarithm) to show both bright and faint...
M15
M15, NGC 7078
M15, or NGC7078, a globular cluster in the constellation Pegasus, as seen by the KPNO 4-m telescope in 1975. M15 is a strong X-ray source, about 34000 light-years away and about 130 light-years across. It is unusual in that it contains a small planetary nebula (K648) in the northeast side (just...
Virgo Cluster
Intracluster nebulae in Virgo cluster of galaxies
H-alpha image of a 4 x 3 arcmin2 region in the Virgo intracluster region. The image shows a compact HII region (in blue circle to the left) and a confirmed intracluster planetary nebula (in yellow and red circle at the top). The two other objects (in red circles) are additional planetary...
M 42
Orion Nebula detail
ESO Press Photo eso0104d shows a small section of the observational data (in one infrared spectral band only, here reproduced in B/W) on which ESO Press Photo eso0104a is based. The field is centred on one of the famous Orion silhouette disks (Orion 114-426) (it is located approximately...
Hen 2-428
Planetary Nebula Hen 2-428
Colour composite of some of the first astronomical exposures obtained by YEPUN . The object is the planetary nebula Hen 2-428 that is located at a distance of 6,000-8,000 light-years and seen in a dense sky field, only 2° from the main plane of the Milky Way. As other planetary nebulae, it is...
Dumbbell Nebula
The Dumbbell Nebula
The Dumbbell Nebula — also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853 — is a typical planetary nebula and is located in the constellation Vulpecula (The Fox). The distance is rather uncertain, but is believed to be around 1,200 light-years. It was first described by the French astronomer and comet hunter...
Dumbbell Nebula
The Dumbbell Nebula
The Dumbbell Nebula -- also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853 -- is a typical planetary nebula and is located in the constellation Vulpecula (The Fox). The distance is rather uncertain, but is believed to be around 1200 light-years. It was first described by the French astronomer and comet hunter...
IC 4406
The VLT images a "rectangular" planetary nebula
IC 4406 is a planetary nebula with an unusual, almost "rectangular" shape. It is located in the southern constellation Lupus (the Wolf). The distance is somewhat uncertain, possibly around 5,000 light-years. Like the Butterfly Nebula (cf. VLT UT1 First Light Photo No. 4), IC 4406 belongs to...
Bug Nebula
Fine structure in NGC 6302
This splendid colour image of a famous southern Planetary Nebula, NGC 6302 or the Bug Nebula (sometimes nicknames the Butterfly Nebula), was obtained by combining blue, yellow and red images obtained on May 22, 1998, with 10 minute exposures and an image quality better than 0.6 arcseconds....
G5.97-1.17
A proplyd in the Lagoon Nebula
This photo shows a small sky area around the central star of G5.97-1.17, an ultra-compact HII-region (UCHR) in the Lagoon Nebula. This spectacular interstellar nebula, also known as Messier 8 or M8, is seen in the direction of the southern constellation of Sagittarius.Observations described in...
G5.97-1.17
ADONIS mosaic of the Her 36 area in M8
This photo shows a true-colour, composite mosaic of several ADONIS near-infrared frames, covering a 35 x 26 arcsec area around a newly found star in the Lagoon Nebula. This spectacular interstellar nebula, also known as Messier 8 or M8 is see in the direction of the southern constellation of...
Sakurai's Object
The planetary nebula around Sakurai's Object
These CCD images show Sakurai's new star and the planetary nebula surrounding it. The images were obtained with the CCD Camera at the Dutch 0.9-metre telescope at the ESO La Silla Observatory by Hilmar Duerbeck (European Southern Observatory). Each of the four fields measures about 1.4 x 1.4...
Southern Crab
The "Southern Crab" Nebula (He2-104)
The "Southern Crab" Nebula (He2-104). This CCD image of the proto-planetary symbiotic star He2-104, also known as the "Southern Crab", was obtained with the 2.2 metre telescope at La Silla by Hugo Schwarz and collaborators; the exposure time was 30 min. It shows the unusual object in the light...
NGC 6302
Cosmic butterfly
The Bug Nebula, NGC 6302, is one of the brightest and most extreme planetary nebulae known. It is located about 4,000 light-years away, towards the Scorpius constellation (the Scorpion). The nebula is the swansong of a dying solar-like star lying at its centre. At about 250,000 degrees Celsius...
Virgo Cluster
Intracluster planetary nebulae in the SUC field in the Virgo Cluster
Zoomed in view of the pointing relative to the SUC field. The image shows a 30 x 30 arcminute field centred on the Messier 86/ Messier 84 region of the Virgo cluster. The brighter galaxies in the field are (clockwise from the left) M86, M84 and NGC 4388. Their systemic velocities are -244, 1060...
Ant Nebula
High-resolution spectrum of the Ant Planetary Nebula around 12.8μm
Reproduction of a high-resolution spectrum of the Ne II line (ionised Neon) at 12.8135 microns of the Ant Planetary Nebula, also known as Mz-3. The total integration time was 120 sec.
Frosty Leo
K-band image of the peculiar star "Frosty Leo"
Frosty Leo is a magnitude 11 (post-AGB) star surrounded by an envelope of gas, dust, and large amounts of ice (hence the name). The associated nebula is of "butterfly" shape (bipolar morphology) and it is one of the best known examples of the brief transitional phase between two late...
NGC 6563
NGC 6563
The planetary nebula NGC 6563 resides in a crowded starry region of the sky. In natural sky conditions many of these stars remain invisible due to the blurring effect of the Earth’s atmosphere. This image is part of an image comparison.
NGC 6563
NGC 6563
The planetary nebula NGC 6563 resides in a crowded starry region of the sky. In natural sky conditions many of these stars remain invisible due to the blurring effect of the Earth’s atmosphere. When the AOF supplies its superb correction a myriad fainter stars become visible, together with a...
NGC 6369
NGC 6369
The image depicts the true power of the Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF), revealing much finer details in the faint planetary nebula structure. This image is part of an image comparison.
NGC 5253
Channelling light from starbursts
The focus of this week’s Hubble Picture of the Week is the blue compact dwarf galaxy NGC 5253, located in the constellation Centaurus around 11 million light-years from Earth. This new image combines data taken with Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), using its Wide Field Channel, and...
Young Stellar Object 177-341
Teardrops in the sky
Is it a comet? Is it a spaceship? The object in this Picture of the Week might be a bit hard to recognise at first. It is in fact a young star — but why does it have such an unusual shape? Young stars are surrounded by a disc of gas and dust: the building materials for planets. When other very...
M76
Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76)
In celebration of the 34th anniversary of the launch of the legendary NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers took a snapshot of the Little Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Messier 76, M76, or NGC 650/651) located 3400 light-years away in the northern circumpolar constellation Perseus. The...
Necklace Nebula
Hubble offers a dazzling necklace
A giant cosmic necklace glows brightly in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image.The object, aptly named the Necklace Nebula, is a recently discovered planetary nebula, the glowing remains of an ordinary, Sun-like star. The nebula consists of a bright ring, measuring about two light-years...
PN G054.2-03.4
In the Sky with Diamonds
The interaction of two doomed stars has created this spectacular ring adorned with bright clumps of gas — a diamond necklace of cosmic proportions. Fittingly known as the Necklace Nebula, this planetary nebula is located 15 000 light-years away from Earth in the small, dim constellation of...
Helix Nebula
The Helix Nebula (NGC7293)
The Helix Nebula (also known as The Helix, NGC 7293, or Caldwell 63) is a large planetary nebula (PN) located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824, this object is one of the closest to the Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae. The estimated...
Helix Nebula
VISTA’s look at the Helix Nebula
ESO's Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) has captured this unusual view of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a planetary nebula located 700 light-years away. The coloured picture was created from images taken through Y, J and K infrared filters. While bringing to light a...
IRAS 17163-3907
Wide-field image of the sky around the Fried Egg nebula
This visible light wide-field image of the region around the yellow hypergiant star IRAS 17163-3907 was created from photographs taken through blue, red and infrared filters and forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The star appears close to the centre, indistinguishable from...
NGC 6781
Cosmic bubble NGC 6781
Stars such as our Sun do not contain enough mass to finish their lives in the glorious explosions known as supernovae. However, they are still able to salute their imminent demise into dense, Earth-sized embers called white dwarfs by first expelling colourful shells of gas known as planetary...
NGC 3132
A cosmic bubble: NGC 3132
NGC 3132, also referred to as the Eight-Burst or the Southern Ring Nebula, glows at a distance of about 2,000 light years in the constellation Vela, making it one of the nearest so-called planetary nebulae. These phenomena are the result of the shedding of the outer gaseous layers of a star...
PN K1-22
The sky around the location of the planetary nebula ESO 378-1
This image shows the sky around the location of ESO 378-1. This planetary nebula shows up clearly as a blue disc at the centre of the picture. This picture was created from images in the Digitized Sky Survey 2.
L2 Puppis
VLT/SPHERE image of the star L2 Puppis and its surroundings
Some of the sharpest images ever made with ESO’s Very Large Telescope have for the first time revealed what appears to be an ageing star in the early stages of forming a butterfly-like planetary nebula. These observations of the red giant star L2 Puppis from the ZIMPOL mode of the newly...
L2 Puppis
VLT/SPHERE and NACO image of the star L2 Puppis and its surroundings
Some of the sharpest images ever made with ESO’s Very Large Telescope have for the first time revealed what appears to be an ageing star in the early stages of forming a butterfly-like planetary nebula. The observations of the red giant star L2 Puppis from the ZIMPOL mode of the newly installed...
Hen 2-428
Wide-field view of the sky around the planetary nebula Henize 2-428
This picture shows the sky around the planetary nebula Henize 2-428. The object itself is visible as a small curving nebula at the centre of the picture, surrounded by huge number of faint stars in the Milky Way. This picture was created from images in the Digitized Sky Survey 2.
Hen 2-428
Image of the planetary nebula Henize 2-428 from the Very Large Telescope
This image of the unusual planetary nebula was obtained using ESO’s Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. In the heart of this colourful nebula lies a unique object consisting of two white dwarf stars, each with a mass a little less than that of the Sun. These stars are...
Medusa Nebula
Wide-field view of the sky around the Medusa Nebula
This wide-field view shows the sky around the large but faint planetary nebula known as the Medusa Nebula. The full extent of the object can be seen, as well as many faint stars and, far beyond them, numerous distant galaxies.This picture was created from images forming part of the Digitized...
PN K1-22
The planetary nebula ESO 378-1
This extraordinary bubble, glowing like the ghost of a star in the haunting darkness of space, may appear supernatural and mysterious, but it is a familiar astronomical object: a planetary nebula, the remnants of a dying star. This is the best view of the little-known object ESO 378-1 yet...
Abell 33
The planetary nebula Abell 33 captured using ESO's Very Large Telescope
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile have captured this eye-catching image of planetary nebula Abell 33. Created when an aging star blew off its outer layers, this beautiful blue bubble is, by chance, aligned with a foreground star, and bears an uncanny resemblance to a diamond...
NGC 6537
Bipolar planetary nebula NGC 6537
This image shows an example of a bipolar planetary nebula known as NGC 6537 taken with the New Technology Telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory. The shape, reminiscent of a butterfly or an hourglass, was formed as a Sun-like star approached the end of its life and puffed its outer layers into...
PN G111.8-02.8
Bipolar planetary nebula Hubble 12
This image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows an example of a bipolar planetary nebula. This object, which is known as Hubble 12 and also catalogued as PN G111.8-02.8, lies in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The striking shape of Hubble 12, reminiscent of a butterfly or an...
IC 1295
ESO's VLT images the planetary nebula IC 1295
This intriguing picture from ESO’s Very Large Telescope shows the glowing green planetary nebula IC 1295 surrounding a dim and dying star. It is located about 3300 light-years away in the constellation of Scutum (The Shield). This is the most detailed picture of this object ever taken.
Abell 33
Wide-field view of the sky around Abell 33
This wide-field view shows the sky around the planetary nebula Abell 33, which appears as the ghostly blue circle near the centre of the picture. This picture was created from photographic material forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2. Many faint galaxies are also visible and the bright...
Gliese 667
The sky around the star Gliese 667C
This picture shows the sky around multiple star Gliese 667. The bright star at the centre is Gliese 667 A and B, the two main components of the system, which cannot be separated in this image. Gliese 667C, the third component, is visible as a bright star, very close and just under A and B,...
Fleming 1
The planetary nebula Fleming 1 seen with ESO’s Very Large Telescope
This new ESO Very Large Telescope image shows the planetary nebula Fleming 1 in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur). This striking object is a glowing cloud of gas around a dying star. New observations have shown that it is likely that a very rare pair of white dwarf stars lies at the...
Fleming 1
Wide-field view of the sky around the planetary nebula Fleming 1
This wide-field view shows the sky around planetary nebula Fleming 1 in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur). This view was created from images forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2.
Abell 24
Red and Long Dead
This red-hued cloud of gas is named Abell 24, and is located in the constellation of Canis Minor (The Lesser Dog). It is something known as a planetary nebula — a burst of gas and dust created when a star dies and throws its outer layers into space. Despite the name, planetary nebulae have...
HH 212
Feeding a Baby Star with a Dusty Hamburger
This intriguing image may look like a collection of coloured blobs, but it is actually a high-resolution snapshot of a newborn star enshrouded in dust. Just 1300 light-years away in the Orion Nebula, the star, named HH 212, is remarkably young. The average lifespan of such a low-mass star is...
LL Pegasi
ALMA and Hubble observe LL Pegasi
This image is a composite of images made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), both observing the binary star system LL Pegasi. The old star LL Pegasi is continuously losing gaseous material as it evolves into a planetary nebula,...
LL Pegasi
Celestial spiral with a twist
Although it looks like the pattern of a shell on the beach, this intriguing spiral is in fact astronomical in nature. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) captured this remarkable image of a binary star system, where two stars — LL Pegasi and its companion — are locked in a...
NGC 3699
A planetary Nebula divided
This fetching cloud of gas was imaged by the ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (EFOSC2) at ESO's La Silla Observatory. It can be found nestled in the busy constellation of Centaurus in the skies of the southern hemisphere. The cloud of gas — named NGC 3699 — is a planetary nebula, It is...
W26
Surprise cloud around vast star
This new picture from the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at ESO's Paranal Observatory shows the remarkable super star cluster Westerlund 1 (eso1034). This exceptionally bright cluster lies about 16 000 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Ara (The Altar). It contains hundreds of...
IC 5148
From Cosmic Spare Tyre to Ethereal Blossom
IC 5148 is a beautiful planetary nebula located some 3000 light-years away in the constellation of Grus (The Crane). The nebula has a diameter of a couple of light-years, and it is still growing at over 50 kilometres per second — one of the fastest expanding planetary nebulae known. The term...
Fine Ring Nebula
Smoke signals in space
The hazy and aptly named Fine Ring Nebula, shown here, is an unusual planetary nebula. Planetary nebulae form when some dying stars, having expanded into a red giant phase, expel a shell of gas as they evolve into white dwarfs. Most planetary nebulae are either spherical or elliptical in shape,...
NGC 5189
Dying star puffs a cosmic dragon
NGC 5189 is a planetary nebula with an oriental twist. Similar in appearance to a Chinese dragon, these red and green cosmic fireworks are the last swansong of a dying star. At the end of its life, a star with a mass less than eight times that of the Sun will blow its outer layers away, giving...
NGC246
New ESO’s VLT image of the Skull Nebula
Captured in astounding detail by ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), the eerie Skull Nebula is showcased in this new image in beautiful pink and red tones. This planetary nebula, also known as NGC 246, is the first known to be associated with a pair of closely bound stars orbited by a third outer...
NGC 2899
New ESO’s VLT image of the NGC 2899 planetary nebula
This highly detailed image of the fantastic NGC 2899 planetary nebula was captured using the FORS instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in northern Chile. This object has never before been imaged in such striking detail, with even the faint outer edges of the planetary nebula glowing over...
ESO 577-24
A Fleeting Moment in Time
The faint, ephemeral glow emanating from the planetary nebula ESO 577-24 persists for only a short time — around 10,000 years, a blink of an eye in astronomical terms. ESO’s Very Large Telescope captured this shell of glowing ionised gas — the last breath of the dying star whose simmering...
ESO 577-24
Digitized Sky Survey image around the planetary nebula ESO 577-24
The faint, ephemeral glow emanating from the planetary nebula ESO 577-24 persists for only a short time — around 10,000 years, a blink of an eye in astronomical terms. ESO’s Very Large Telescope captured this shell of glowing ionised gas — the last breath of the dying star whose simmering...
IC 4406
The planetary nebula IC 4406 seen with MUSE and the AOF
The coupling of the AOF with MUSE gives access to both greater sharpness and a wide dynamic range when observing celestial objects like planetary nebulae. These new observations of IC 4406 revealed shells that have never been seen before, along with the already familiar dark dust structures in...
NGC 7009
MUSE image of the Saturn Nebula
The spectacular planetary nebula NGC 7009, or the Saturn Nebula, emerges from the darkness like a series of oddly-shaped bubbles, lit up in glorious pinks and blues. This colourful image was captured by the powerful MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), as part of a study which...
