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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"
The Cat's Eye Nebula
24/03/2002
M27: Not A Comet
02/03/2002
M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
06/01/2002
NGC 2346: A Butterfly-Shaped Planetary Nebula
28/10/2001
Hen 1357: New Born Nebula
06/10/2001
The Planetary Nebula Show
03/10/2001
IC 418: The Spirograph Nebula
30/09/2001
The Making of the Rotten Egg Nebula
03/09/2001
NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf
05/08/2001
M57: The Ring Nebula
29/07/2001
The Red Spider Planetary Nebula
24/07/2001
NGC 3132: The Eight Burst Nebula
24/06/2001
NGC 6826: The Blinking Eye
26/05/2001
M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
06/03/2001
Planetary Nebula Mz3: The Ant Nebula
05/02/2001
Spherical Planetary Nebula Abell 39
23/01/2001
X-rays From The Cat's Eye
11/01/2001
M2-9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
17/12/2000
IC 418: The Spirograph Nebula
07/09/2000
The Helix Nebula from CFHT
28/08/2000
M15: Dense Globular Star Cluster
04/08/2000
NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf
30/07/2000
M57: The Ring Nebula
16/07/2000
Shapley 1: An Annular Planetary Nebula
25/06/2000
MyCn18: An Hourglass Nebula
04/06/2000
IC 4406: A Seemingly Square Nebula
16/04/2000
Celebrating Hubble With NGC 6751
07/04/2000
NGC 2392 from the Newly Fixed Hubble
24/01/2000
The Rotten Egg Planetary Nebula
01/11/1999
The Cat's Eye Nebula
31/10/1999