HOME | 2003-09 | Egg Nebula

Resembling a rippling pool illuminated by underwater lights, the Egg Nebula offers astronomers a special look at the normally invisible dust shells swaddling an aging star. These dust layers, extending over one-tenth of a light-year from the star, have an onionskin structure that forms concentric rings around the star. A thicker dust belt, running almost vertically through the image, blocks off light from the central star. Twin beams of light radiate from the hidden star and illuminate the pitch-black dust, like a flashlight shining in a smoky room.

Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA). Acknowledgment: W. Sparks (STScI) and R. Sahai (JPL)

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