"The new image shows the nebula's four beams of starlight (from that central star) escaping from its gas-and-dust "shell." On either side of the disc-like cloud are fast-moving outflows of hot molecular hydrogen. The orange highlights in this image indicate the glow of infrared light. As the beams of starlight stretch out from the center, they illuminate concentric rings of gas. The gas's ripple-like pattern suggests it was created by successive bursts from the star, with a little more ejecting every few hundred years."
"Hubble may no longer be the gold standard, but it can still capture some impressive images. The telescope's latest snapshot is our clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. Roughly 3,000 light-years away from Earth, the nebula's name is derived from its dense layer of gas and dust cloaking a central star. The Egg Nebula, found in the constellation Cygnus, was first discovered in 1975. Nebulae in this preplanetary phase are rare finds."
The Egg Nebula lies about 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, surrounding a central star shrouded in a dense gas-and-dust shell. Four beams of starlight pierce the shell and illuminate concentric, ripple-like rings formed by successive bursts from the star, with additional material ejected every few hundred years. Fast-moving outflows of hot molecular hydrogen extend on either side of the disc-like cloud. Orange highlights mark infrared emission in the image. Preplanetary nebulae like this are rare because the phase is short-lived and often faint. Comparing recent and earlier images enables study of the nebula's structure and behavior.
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