- Hubble captured an image of the Egg Nebula, a pre-planetary nebula 1,000 light-years away
- The Egg Nebula is the youngest, closest pre-planetary nebula discovered for detailed study
- It formed from a dying Sun-like star shedding outer layers, creating a symmetrical structure
The Hubble Space Telescope has taken a breathtaking image of the Egg Nebula, which is a pre-planetary nebula located approximately 1,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. As explained by NASA, a pre-planetary nebula is the preliminary phase of a planetary nebula. Notably, a nebula is a vast, interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionised gases located in outer space. "Only Hubble's sharpness can unveil the intricate details that hint at the processes shaping this enigmatic structure," said NASA.
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NASA said that it is the first, youngest, and closest pre-planetary nebula ever discovered, giving the scientists a perfect and rare opportunity to study it further.
This celestial wonder is the result of a dying Sun-like star shedding its outer layers, creating a complex and symmetrical structure.
The image shared by NASA shows a dense, opaque cloud which is concealing the star. It resembles a 'yolk' within a dark 'egg white'.
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The Hubble Space Telescope's ability to capture this image highlights its unparalleled capability to reveal intricate details of celestial phenomena.
Also, it the powerful beams of lights bursting from holes in the cloud, illuminating the surrounding gas and dust. The article also noted that the wispy shells of gas surround the nebula, formed by repeated outbursts over thousands of years.
"The symmetrical patterns captured by Hubble are too orderly to result from a violent explosion like a supernova. Instead, the arcs, lobes, and central dust cloud likely stem from a coordinated series of poorly understood sputtering events in the carbon-enriched core of the dying star," NASA wrote.
"Aged stars like these forged and released the dust that eventually seeded future star systems, such as our own solar system, which coalesced into Earth and other rocky planets 4.5 billion years ago.
