PIA15658: NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula
 Target Name:  Helix Nebula
 Mission:  Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
 Spacecraft:  GALEX Orbiter
 Instrument:  Ultraviolet/Visible Camera 
 Product Size:  2920 x 2920 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  IPAC-Caltech
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA15658.tif (25.58 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA15658.jpg (884.6 kB)

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Original Caption Released with Image:

NGC 7293, better known as the Helix nebula, displays its ultraviolet glow courtesy of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). The Helix is the nearest example of a planetary nebula, which is the eventual fate of a star, like our own Sun, as it approaches the end of its life. As it runs out of fuel, the star expels its outer envelope of gas outward to form a nebula like the Helix. The remaining core of the star is a small, hot, dense remnant known as a white dwarf.

For information about the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, go to: http://www.galex.caltech.edu.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Image Addition Date:
2012-05-16