Posts Tagged ‘Planetary Nebula’
Astronomy Picture of the Day
The Cat's Eye Nebula from Hubble Credit: NASA, ESA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Explanation: Staring across interstellar space, the alluring Cat's Eye nebula lies three thousand light-years from Earth. A classic planetary nebula, the Cat's Eye (NGC 6543) represents a final, brief yet glorious phase in the life of a sun-like star. This nebula's dying central star may have produced the simple, outer pattern of dusty concentric shells by shrugging ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—April, 22, Peak of Lyrid meteor shower
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Tonight presents the expected peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, from late night Friday (April 22) until dawn Saturday (April 23). Usually, the hour before dawn is best, except that a bright waning gibbous moon will be lighting the sky. This year, some people may choose to watch late at night, during the dark hour before moonrise. Moonrise time for your sky Our chart shows the constellation Lyra again ... Full Story
Astronomy Picture of the Day
NGC 2438 is a planetary nebula, the gaseous shroud cast off by a dying sunlike star billions of years old whose central reservoir of hydrogen fuel has been exhausted. Planetary Nebula NGC 2438 Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel López, IAC Explanation: NGC 2438 is a planetary nebula, the gaseous shroud cast off by a dying sunlike star billions of years old whose central reservoir of hydrogen fuel has been exhausted. About 3,000 light-years distant it lies within the ... Full Story
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Visit the NASA/JPL website to view more Astronomy Pictures of the Day Planetary Nebula Project Credit & Copyright: J-P Metsävainio (Astro Anarchy) Explanation: Cast off by dying sunlike stars, planetary nebulae are a brief but glorious final phase of stellar evolution. The gaseous shrouds are ionized by an extremely hot central source, the shrinking core of a star running out of fuel for nuclear fusion. Shining in the cosmic night, their simple symmetries are ... Full Story
