esahubble_opo9501c January 11th, 1995
Credit: J.P. Harrington and K.J. Borkowski (University of Maryland), and NASA/ESA
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows one of the most complex planetary nebulae ever seen, NGC 6543, nicknamed the 'Cat's Eye Nebula.' Hubble reveals surprisingly intricate structures including concentric gas shells, jets of high-speed gas and unusual shock-induced knots of gas. Estimated to be 1,000 years old, the nebula is a visual 'fossil record' of the dynamics and late evolution of a dying star.
Provider: Hubble Space Telescope | ESA
Image Source: https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo9501c/
Curator: ESA/Hubble, Garching bei München, Germany
Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
Providers | Sign In