A spectral Saturn shines in new ESO nebula snap

said braka 8:41 AM
The ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT)

has captured a beautiful image of a planetary nebula known as NGC 7009, or the Saturn Nebula, as part of a wider study attempting to unravel the processes that give these vast cosmic clouds of dust and glowing gas their distinctive shape.
The nebula itself was created as an aging red giant threw off vast quantities of material, which was subsequently molded and distorted by powerful stellar winds. The heart of this star, as we see it now, is in the process of transforming into a white dwarf. It can be seen lurking in the center of the image as a bright point of light.
The eerie specter of NGC 7009 is located about 5,000 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Aquarius. Despite the fact that the structure was born with the slow demise of a star, it forms what is known as a planetary nebula.