This nebula resembles an eye, with the "pupil" immediately around the star appearing a light blue, the "iris" fading into a mixture of blue, orange, and red with a yellow-orange ring around it, and the sclera appearing bright red-orange.

C63 (NGC 7293) – The Helix Nebula

This image shows a fine web of filamentary "bicycle-spoke" features embedded in the colorful red and blue ring of gas. At 650 light-years away, the Helix is one of the nearest planetary nebulae to Earth. A planetary nebula is the glowing gas around a dying, Sun-like star.

Credits: NASA, NOAO, ESA, the Hubble Helix Nebula Team, M. Meixner (STScI), and T.A. Rector (NRAO)
Download Share

Tags

Image CreditNASA, NOAO, ESA, the Hubble Helix Nebula Team, M. Meixner (STScI), and T.A. Rector (NRAO)
Size1024x1007px