APOD
Nebulae For Christmas
December 25, 1998
About This Image
If our Galaxy were a Christmas tree, planetary nebulae would adorn it like colorful lighted ornaments twinkling on a cosmic scale. Glowing shrouds of gas ejected by red giant stars, planetary nebulae like NGC 6578 (left) and IC 3568 last for a mere 10,000 years or so as swollen stellar giants are transformed into fading, cooling white dwarf stars. Meanwhile ... have a safe, happy holiday season and Best Wishes to all from APOD!
On This Day in Space History
On December 25, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched, ushering in a new era of infrared astronomy.
Share