The 'Rotten Egg' Nebula - a Planetary Nebula in the Making
The object shown in these NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images is a remarkable example of a star going through death throes just as it dramatically transforms itself from a normal red giant star into a planetary nebula. This process happens so quickly that such objects are quite rare, even though astronomers believe that most stars like the Sun will eventually go through such a phase.
Credit:NASA & ESA
About the Image
Id: | heic9903a |
Type: | Collage |
Release date: | 19 October 1999, 15:00 |
Related releases: | heic9903 |
Size: | 3001 x 2401 px |
About the Object
Name: | Calabash Nebula, IRAS 07399-1435, Rotten Egg Nebula |
Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Planetary |
Distance: | 4500 light years |
Category: | Nebulae |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Infrared H | 1.6 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
NICMOS |
Infrared Pa-alpha |
Hubble Space Telescope
NICMOS | |
Infrared K | 2.05 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
NICMOS |
Infrared K | 2.05 μm |
Hubble Space Telescope
NICMOS |