This nebula is the cast-off atmosphere of what used to be a sun-like star. As a normal
part of such a star's aging, the outer layers of the star are expelled (recycled) into
space, while the remnants of the star collapse to become a super-dense white dwarf, with the
mass of the sun squeezed into an object the size of the earth.

This object is 1600 light years from earth, and is found in the constellation Cetus.


Image Data:
Telescope: PlaneWave CDK 17"
Exposure: 11 hours (RGB + Hydrogen-alpha + OIII)
Location: Heaven's Mirror Observatory, Yass NSW Australia