PIA07902: Planetary Nebula NGC 7293 also Known as the Helix Nebula
 Target Name:  Helix Nebula
 Mission:  Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
 Spacecraft:  GALEX Orbiter
 Instrument:  GALEX Telescope 
 Product Size:  2448 x 1880 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  California Institute of Technology 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA07902.tif (13.82 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA07902.jpg (579.5 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

Ultraviolet image of the planetary nebula NGC 7293 also known as the Helix Nebula. It is the nearest example of what happens to a star, like our own Sun, as it approaches the end of its life when it runs out of fuel, expels gas outward and evolves into a much hotter, smaller and denser white dwarf star.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSC

Image Addition Date:
2005-05-05