Planetary Nebula – Page 2

Hubble views a nitrogen-rich planetary nebula

29 June 2015 Astronomy Now

NGC 6153 in the constellation Scorpius contains up to three times the amount of neon, argon, oxygen, carbon and chlorine to be found in our Solar System, but what really sets this planetary nebula apart is the quantity of nitrogen in its clouds.

The origins of an emerging bipolar planetary nebula revealed

12 June 2015 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have for the first time captured what appears to be the moment when a red giant star evolves into a stunning butterfly-like planetary nebula, using the SPHERE instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT).

The dreadful beauty of the Medusa Nebula

21 May 2015 Astronomy Now

Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile have captured the most detailed image ever taken of the Medusa Nebula in the constellation of Gemini. As the star at the heart of this nebula made its transition into retirement, it shed its outer layers into space, forming this colourful cloud.

Deep sky challenge: Skull Nebula

9 October 2014 Owen Brazell

Discovered by William Herschel in 1785, NGC 246 is a large planetary nebula in a star-poor area of Cetus. It must have been quite challenging for him to find as he often used high powers and small fields when searching for nebulae.

Hubble Reveals the Ring Nebula’s True Shape

2 October 2014 Astronomy Now

New observations of the Ring Nebula by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveal a new twist on an iconic nebula.