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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- MyCn18: An Hourglass Planetary Nebula
NASA ^ | May 10, 2015 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 05/09/2015 10:04:47 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: The sands of time are running out for the central star of this hourglass-shaped planetary nebula. With its nuclear fuel exhausted, this brief, spectacular, closing phase of a Sun-like star's life occurs as its outer layers are ejected - its core becoming a cooling, fading white dwarf. In 1995, astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to make a series of images of planetary nebulae, including the one above. Here, delicate rings of colorful glowing gas (nitrogen-red, hydrogen-green, and oxygen-blue) outline the tenuous walls of the hourglass. The unprecedented sharpness of the HST images has revealed surprising details of the nebula ejection process that are helping to resolve the outstanding mysteries of the complex shapes and symmetries of planetary nebulas.

May 10, 2015

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; hourglassnebula; nebula; sauron; science
[Credit and Copyright: R. Sahai and J. Trauger (JPL), WFPC2, HST, NASA]

1 posted on 05/09/2015 10:04:48 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
The Big One

2 posted on 05/09/2015 10:06:52 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
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To: SunkenCiv

Looks like an eyeball looking at me.


3 posted on 05/09/2015 10:13:07 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: Delta 21
I wider shot...


4 posted on 05/09/2015 10:16:48 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: SunkenCiv

Used to be dubbed “The Eye of God”

Even THAT has to be censored?


5 posted on 05/09/2015 10:21:21 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ( million ii, all)
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To: maine-iac7
That's a different nebula.


6 posted on 05/10/2015 12:01:04 AM PDT by TigersEye (STONE COLD ZOMBIE SCOURGE)
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To: SunkenCiv

That’s a real self-esteem-of-muslims-booster, there.


7 posted on 05/10/2015 5:07:29 AM PDT by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Francis)
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To: maine-iac7

Since it’s clearly not the Eye of God, calling it that is blasphemous.


8 posted on 05/10/2015 8:36:09 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
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To: SunkenCiv

Place iron filings on a piece of paper, and play with magnets underneath. When attempting to touch same poles, the iron filings form a similar pattern as that picture.


9 posted on 05/10/2015 8:42:50 AM PDT by going hot (Happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: SunkenCiv

Oh good grief already.

Take a chill pill...


10 posted on 05/10/2015 11:08:21 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ( million ii, all)
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