Planetary Nebula
An expanding shell of ionized gas ejected from a red giant star in the late stages of stellar evolution. Despite the name, it has no connection to planets. The glowing gas is illuminated by the hot core of the dying star.
Source: science.nasa.gov
APODs including "Planetary Nebula"
NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf
24/12/2023
What's that in the center? Like a butterfly, a white dwarf star begins its life by casting off a cocoon of gas that enclosed its former self. In this analogy, however, the Sun would be a caterpillar and the ejected shell of gas would become the prettiest cocoon of all. In the featured cocoon, the planetary nebula designated NGC 2440 contains one of the hottest white dwarf stars known. The white dwarf can be seen as the bright orange dot near the image center. Our Sun will eventually become a white dwarf butterfly, but not for another 5 billion years.