Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 October 24 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Patrick Winkler Explanation: A mere seven hundred light years from Earth toward the constellation [5]Aquarius, a star is dying. The once sun-like star's last few thousand years have produced the [6]Helix Nebula. Also known as NGC 7293, the cosmic Helix is a well studied and nearby example of a [7]Planetary Nebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution. Combining narrow band data from emission lines of hydrogen atoms in red and oxygen atoms in blue-green hues, this deep image shows tantalizing [8]details of the Helix, including its bright [9]inner region about 3 light-years across. The white dot at the Helix's center is this Planetary Nebula's hot, dying [10]central star. A simple looking nebula at first glance, the Helix is now understood to have a surprisingly [11]complex geometry. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space __________________________________________________________________ [12]< | [13]Archive | [14]Submissions | [15]Index | [16]Search | [17]Calendar | [18]RSS | [19]Education | [20]About APOD | [21]Discuss | [22]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell ([26]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [27]Specific rights apply. [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC, [32]NASA Science Activation & [33]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2410/NGC7293_preview.png 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. http://www.celestialobjects.net/contact/ 5. http://hawastsoc.org/deepsky/aqr/index.html 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_Nebula 7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula 8. https://stsci-opo.org/STScI-01EVT8HWJ754VADGE57NY9VWXP.jpg 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030510.html 10. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2003/11/1317-Image.html 11. https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2004/news-2004-32.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241023.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241024 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241025.html 23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 30. https://www.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 33. http://www.mtu.edu/