by Paul Gilster | Sep 10, 2004 | Deep Sky Astronomy & Telescopes
NGC 6543 is called the Cat’s Eye Nebula; it was one of the first planetary nebulae to be discovered. This gorgeous view from Hubble shows that it is also one of the most complex nebulae ever studied.
You’re looking at a Sun-like star at the very end of its life, losing its outer gaseous layers to create concentric clouds in ways that are still mysterious. Each bright ring is actually the edge of a spherical bubble of gas. Hubble used its Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) to make this image.
In Centauri Dreams, Paul Gilster looks at peer-reviewed research on deep space exploration, with an eye toward interstellar possibilities. For many years this site coordinated its efforts with the Tau Zero Foundation. It now serves as an independent forum for deep space news and ideas. In the logo above, the leftmost star is Alpha Centauri, a triple system closer than any other star, and a primary target for early interstellar probes. To its right is Beta Centauri (not a part of the Alpha Centauri system), with Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon Crucis, stars in the Southern Cross, visible at the far right (image courtesy of Marco Lorenzi).
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