Planetary nebula

A Planetary Nebula is a cloud of ionized gas (plasma) expanding from a very large central star in a late unstable stage of its evolution. The Eskimo Nebula, shown here, is about 5000 light-years away. The nebula was the outer layer of a large, but unremarkable star, only 10,000 years ago. The inner filaments are a solar-wind type ejection of particles from the central star. The outer shell contains filaments that are one light-year in length. > More