Hubble Space Telescope has provided a breathtaking glimpse into the cosmos NGC 2392

Hubble Space Telescope has provided a breathtaking glimpse into the cosmos NGC 2392

Credit Image: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope A small, orange point of light at the center of the image is surrounded by glowing lobes of orange and white material. Resembling wheel spokes, comet-shaped orange filaments surround the lobes in a circle, all against black space. 

In the wake of its successful December 1999 servicing mission, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has provided a breathtaking glimpse into the cosmos. Captured in this image is NGC 2392, a planetary nebula that showcases the radiant remnants of a dying star similar to our Sun. Discovered by William Herschel in 1787, this celestial relic is adorned with a disk of material encircled by comet-shaped objects, their tails trailing away from the central star in a mesmerizing display. The inner nebula also holds captivating intricacies. While the central region appears like a tangled ball of twine, it is, in fact, a bubble of material propelled into space by the star's vigorous "wind" of high-speed matter.

The formation of this planetary nebula commenced approximately 10,000 years ago when the dying star began expelling material into the cosmos. Comprising two elliptically shaped lobes of matter streaming above and below the fading star, the nebula in this photograph reveals one bubble obscuring a portion of the second lobe.

Scientists theorize that the nebula's shape is a result of a ring of dense material surrounding the star's equator, which was ejected during its red giant phase. This dense belt of matter moves at a leisurely pace of 72,000 miles per hour (115,000 kilometers per hour), impeding the high-velocity stellar winds from propelling matter along the equator. Instead, winds traveling at a staggering speed of 900,000 miles per hour (1.5 million kilometers per hour) sweep the material above and below the star, giving rise to the elongated bubbles. These bubbles, unlike smooth balloons, exhibit filaments of denser matter. Each bubble spans approximately 1 light-year in length and half a light-year in width. The origin of the comet-shaped features in the outer region of the nebula remains a puzzle for scientists. One plausible explanation is that these objects formed through the collision of gases moving at different speeds.

Situated in the constellation Gemini, NGC 2392 lies approximately 5,000 light-years away from Earth. The image was captured on January 10 and 11, 2000, using the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2.