Giant Eye Helix Nebula
by Mark Kiver
Title
Giant Eye Helix Nebula
Artist
Mark Kiver
Medium
Photograph
Description
Spitzer's infrared view of the Helix nebula looks more like a giant eye in space. nfrared light from the outer gaseous layers is represented in blues and greens. The white dwarf is visible as a tiny white dot in the center of the picture. The red color in the middle of the eye denotes the final layers of gas blown out when the star died.
The nebula, located about 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, belongs to a class of objects called planetary nebulae. Discovered in the 18th century, these colorful beauties were named for their resemblance to gas-giant planets like Jupiter.
This image has been digitally enhanced and prepared for printing.
Uploaded
April 8th, 2018
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