#planetary nebulae

[thepastisalreadywritten]

2 trillion Galaxies in the Observable Universe.

3,000 Planetary Nebulae in the Observable Milky Way.

[mystarypi-astronomy]

This is the Skull Nebula! 💀💀💀

The glow of this eerie nebula is perfect for Halloween! This planetary nebula has a binary star system with a third star orbiting it. The beautiful colors of this nebula come from the outer layers of a Sun-like star that died in an explosion! 👻👻👻

Taken by me (Michelle Park) using the Slooh Canary Three telescope on October 28th, 2021 at 1:57 UTC.

[lifecouldbe-simple]

Nebulae

[brightestofcentaurus]

PK 329-02.2: Menzel 2

PK 329-02.2, also called Menzel 2, is a planetary nebula located towards the constellation Norma. The nebula surrounds two stars, one (lower left) the companion of the central star (upper right).

Planetary nebula form when medium sized stars- about the mass of our Sun- run out of fuel. After expanding into a red giant, the star collapses into a white dwarf, emitting its outer layers. These emissions can be very irregular and shaped by surrounding material and objects, creating intricate, glowing nebulae like Menzel 2.

Image and information from ESA.

[kny111]

Southern Owl Nebula (K1-22) by ESO

[mystarypi-astronomy]

This is the Ring Nebula! 💍💍💍

With a radius of about 3 light years, this planetary nebula is expanding after the death of a Sun-like star ejected its layers as we can see in the image. The center of this elegant object has a white dwarf (the remnant core of the star) that continues to expand the envelope’s layers. 💖💖💖

Taken by me (Michelle Park) using the Slooh Canary Two telescope on June 16th, 2021 at 23:52 UTC.

[mystarypi-astronomy]

This is the Eight-Burst Nebula! 🌈🌈🌈

At the center of this beautiful planetary nebula is not one star but actually two stars that are orbiting one another! This nebula, however, is so far south that it’s really difficult for many people to see so you might not see it in the night sky. 🪐🪐🪐

Taken by me (Michelle Park) using the Slooh Chile One telescope on December 10th, 2020 at 6:37 UTC.

[mystarypi-astronomy]

This is the Gemini Nebula! ♊♊♊

This planetary nebula was discovered by William Herschel, the same man who first found Uranus. At the center is a stellar remnant known as a white dwarf, which is the remaining hot core of the dead star! ✨✨✨

Taken by me (Michelle Park) using the Slooh Canary Two telescope on February 17th, 2021 at 2:11 UTC.