NGC 7293：螺旋星云
2022年12月7日
NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Tommaso Stella
Explanation: A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, toward the constellation Aquarius, a sun-like star is dying. The dying star’s last few thousand years have produced the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution. Combining narrow band image data from emission lines of hydrogen atoms in red and oxygen atoms in blue-green hues, it shows tantalizing details of the Helix, including its bright inner region about 3 light-years across. The white dot at the Helix’s center is this Planetary Nebula’s hot, central star. A simple looking nebula at first glance, the Helix is now understood to have a surprisingly complex geometry.
Tomorrow’s picture: Orion and the Ocean of Storms
NGC 7293：螺旋星云
图像提供与版权: Tommaso Stella
说明: 在宝瓶座方向，离我们只有700光年远之处，有一颗类太阳恒星滨临死亡…因此它在过去数千年，产生了螺旋星云（Helix Nebula；NGC 7293），这个邻近并广被探索、代表这类恒星演化最末阶段的行星状星云。这幅窄波段图像，整合原子氢的红光辐射及氧原子的蓝绿光辐射数据，以呈现螺旋星云内围3光年区域的迷人细微结构。位在螺旋星云中心的白色亮斑，即是这团星云炽热的中心星。乍看之下，螺旋星云结构看似极简，然而我们如今知道，它其实有出乎意料复杂的几何结构。