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Back The "Rotten Egg" Nebula - a Planetary Nebula in the Making

The "Rotten Egg" Nebula - a Planetary Nebula in the Making


Depicts: OH 231.8+4.2, The Rotten Egg Nebula
Copyright: NASA, ESA, William B. Latter (SIRTF Science Center/California Institute of Technology), John H. Bieging (University of Arizona), Casey Meakin (University of Arizona), A.G.G.M. Tielens (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute), Aditya Dayal (IPAC/NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Joseph L. Hora (Center for Astrophysics), and DouglasM. Kelly (University of Arizona)

The object shown in these NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images is a remarkable example of a star going through death throes just as it dramatically transforms itself from a normal red giant star into a planetary nebula. This process happens so quickly that such objects are quite rare, even though astronomers believe that most stars like the Sun will eventually go through such a phase.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
23-Apr-2026 00:21 UT

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