This is an image of the Ring Nebula, looking as if from the end of a
barrel.
Click on image for full size
Hubble Space Telescope image courtesy of STScI
Click on image for full size
Hubble Space Telescope image courtesy of STScI
Hubble Adds a New Dimension to Nebula
Scientists used the Hubble Space Telescope to look at the Ring Nebula (also known as M57). The nebula gets its name from its shape--it looks like a ring. The HST pictures show that the nebula is actually shaped like a cylinder. The nebula formed from gas escaping from a dying star. The gas first formed a band around the middle of the star, which slowed down other gas that was escaping. The gas then filled in the open areas above and below the middle band. That's how the nebula got its cylinder shape.What's New on the Site?
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