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Nebula NGC 6369 is a planetary nebula located some 3500 light years away toward the constellation Ophiuchus. Named because they look like planets when viewed with small telescopes, planetary nebulae are actually spherical shells of gas that are cast off by aging giant stars late in life. The hot central star that produced the nebula is visible at the center of the ring. The same star provides the ultraviolet light that powers the glowing nebula through a process known as fluorescence, by which ultraviolet light is converted into visible light.
Image and text copyright © Astrographics. All rights reserved. Image courtesy of Space Telescope Science Institute. |
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