Posted on 08/17/2021 3:12:22 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Except for the rings of Saturn, the Ring Nebula (M57) is probably the most famous celestial circle. Its classic appearance is understood to be due to our own perspective, though. The recent mapping of the expanding nebula's 3-D structure, based in part on this clear Hubble image,indicates that the nebula is a relatively dense, donut-like ring wrapped around the middle of a (American) football-shaped cloud of glowing gas. The view from planet Earth looks down the long axis of the football, face-on to the ring. Of course, in this well-studied example of a planetary nebula, the glowing material does not come from planets. Instead, the gaseous shroud represents outer layers expelled from the dying, once sun-like star, now a tiny pinprick of light seen at the nebula's center. Intense ultraviolet light from the hot central star ionizes atoms in the gas. The Ring Nebula is about one light-year across and 2,500 light-years away.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
One of my favorites.
Thank you for your faithful postings.
You are welcome. It has been a pleasure for me.
Our sun in 6 or 7 billion years. Global warming problem solved.
One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all,
and in the darkness bind them.
Eye of God.
Heh! Sorry Ben, I put my post up before I saw yours. GMTA.
...two ringy-dingies
Thank you, Mtn. Climber. The Ring Nebula is incredibly complex and the colors are magnificent. I have a nice picture very similar to this one on my wall. I look at it and day dream. Hmmm.
Yes...I really like that one! It reminds me of an EYE.
I enjoy showing it to people at public nights. Never actually seen the central star. I haven’t observed it in a scope big enough.
It’s a Nordic Eye of Sauron.
I never made that connection, I love it!
There actually is a similar nebula dubbed the “ Eye of God”.
NGC 7293 actually looks more like the Eye of Sauron than the Ring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_Nebula
I did not know God smoked...
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