Helix Nebula

planetary nebula · NGC 7293 · "the Eye of God"

655 light-years from Earth

One of the closest planetary nebulae: the outer layers of a dying Sun-like star, blown into a double ring that looks like a giant eye. Its inner edge is peppered with thousands of comet-shaped knots.

• 655 light-years · 2.9 light-years across
• its central white dwarf is about 100,000 °C

kind

nebula

catalogue

NGC 7293