NGC 7293 Helix Nebula

The Helix Nebula is what astronomers call a “Planetary Nebula.” Such nebulae form at the end of a star’s life as the gases from the star drift out and away from the star after the core of the star collapses into a White Dwarf. The energy from the White Dwarf energizes the previously expelled gases into a high degree of luminosity. The nebula itself is located in the constellation Aquarius in our Southern skies. Its also fairly close, only about 700 light years away, it’s the closest such planetary nebula to the Earth. Due to its appearance, it often goes by its nickname, “the Eye of God.”