The Cats Eye Nebula

Wallpaper Description:

The Cat's Eye Nebula. This nebula was one of the first planetary nebulae to be discovered, it is one of the most complex seen in space. A planetary nebula forms when Sun-like stars gently eject their outer gaseous layers that form bright nebulae with amazing and intricate structures, including concentric gas shells, jets of high-speed gas, and unusual shock-induced knots of gas. Observations suggest the star ejected its mass in a series of pulses at 1,500-year intervals. These convulsions created dust shells, each of which contain as much mass as all of the planets in our solar system combined. The Cat's Eye lies 3,262 light years distant from our solar system.

NASA, ESA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)