Two sets of rings in orange and gold stacked one above the other form the shape of a hourglass. At image center, where the two sets of rings overlap, is an area of white, green and black dust in a shape that is similar to the human eye.

Hubble Finds an Hourglass Nebula around a Dying Star

This Hubble telescope snapshot of MyCn18, a young planetary nebula, reveals that the object has an hourglass shape with an intricate pattern of etchings in its walls. A planetary nebula is the glowing relic of a dying, Sun-like star.

Credits: NASA, ESA, Raghvendra Sahai and John Trauger (JPL), the WFPC2 science team
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TakenJanuary 16, 1996
ProducerJPL
Image CreditNASA, ESA, Raghvendra Sahai and John Trauger (JPL), the WFPC2 science team
Size1280x1280px
PIA NumberPIA14442