Helix Nebula
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- For the gigantic nebula discovered in 2006 near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, see Double Helix Nebula
{{Planetary nebula
| name = Helix Nebula
| image = Image:Helix Nebula.jpg
The Helix Nebula
| epoch = J2000.0
| type = Planetary nebula
| ra = 22h 29m 38.35s
| dec = -20° 50' 13.2"
| dist_ly = 650 ly
| appmag_v = +7.3
| size_v = 17.57'
| constellation = Aquarius
| radius_ly = 2.5 ly
| absmag_v = ?
| names = NGC 7293
}}
The Helix Nebula (also known as NGC 7293) is a planetary nebula about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. It is one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth and was discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding before 1824.
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General information
The Helix Nebula is an example of a planetary nebula created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. The outer gases of the star expelled into space appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix. The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star, glows in light so energetic that it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce.
Helix lies about 650 light-years away towards the constellation of Aquarius and spans about 2.5 light-years. Recent pictures of Helix are a composite of newly released images from the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope and wide-angle images from the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN 0.9-m Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.
The Helix has often been referred to as the Eye of God, in Internet Folklore since about 2003, and also as the "Eye of Sauron" due to its resemblance to said object in the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. Template:Clear
Other resources
See also