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This new NASA\/ESA Hubble\u00a0Space Telescope<\/a> image features one of the most visually intricate remnants of a dying\u00a0star: the Cat\u2019s Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543. This extraordinary\u00a0planetary nebula<\/a>\u00a0lies in the constellation Draco and has captivated astronomers for decades with its elaborate and multilayered structure. Observations with\u00a0ESA\u2019s Gaia<\/a>\u00a0mission place the nebula at 4,400 light-years away.<\/p>\n Planetary nebulae, so-called because of their round shape, which made them appear to look like planets when viewed through early telescopes, are in fact expanding gas thrown off by stars in their final stages of evolution. It was the Cat\u2019s Eye Nebula itself where this fact was first discovered in 1864 \u2014 examining the\u00a0spectrum<\/a>\u00a0of its light reveals the emission from individual molecules that\u2019s characteristic of a gas, distinguishing planetary nebulae from stars and galaxies.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hubble also revolutionized our understanding of planetary nebulae; its detailed images showed that the simple, circular appearance of a planetary nebula seen from the ground belies a very complex morphology. This was particularly true of the Cat\u2019s Eye Nebula, where\u00a0Hubble images<\/a> in 1995 revealed never-before-seen structures that broadened our understanding of how planetary nebulae come to be.<\/p>\n This time, Hubble is joined by\u00a0ESA\u2019s Euclid<\/a>\u00a0space telescope to create a new image of NGC 6543. The combined eyes of Hubble and Euclid reveal the remarkable complexity of stellar death in this object. Though primarily designed to map the distant universe, Euclid captures the Cat\u2019s Eye Nebula as part of its\u00a0deep imaging surveys<\/a>. In Euclid\u2019s wide, near-infrared, and visible light view, the arcs and filaments of the nebula\u2019s bright central region are situated within a halo of colorful fragments of gas zooming away from the star. This ring was ejected from the star at an earlier stage, before the main nebula at the center formed. The whole nebula stands out against a backdrop teeming with distant galaxies, demonstrating how local astrophysical beauty and the farthest reaches of the cosmos can be seen together with Euclid.<\/p>\n Within this broad view of the nebula and its surroundings, Hubble captures the very core of the billowing gas with a new high-resolution visible-light image, adding extra detail in the center of this image. The data reveal a tapestry of concentric shells, jets of high-speed gas and dense knots sculpted by shock interactions, features that appear almost surreal in their intricacy. These structures are believed to record episodic mass loss from the dying star at the nebula\u2019s center, creating a kind of cosmic \u201cfossil record\u201d of its final evolutionary stages.<\/p>\n Combining the focused view of Hubble with Euclid\u2019s deep field observations not only highlights the nebula\u2019s exquisite structure but also places it within the broader context of the universe that both space telescopes explore. Together, these missions provide a rich and complementary view of NGC 6543 \u2014 revealing the delicate interplay between stellar end-of-life processes and the vast cosmic tapestry beyond.<\/p>\n Media Contact<\/span>:<\/strong><\/p>\n Claire Andreoli<\/strong>
NASA’s\u00a0<\/strong>Goddard Space Flight Center<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Greenbelt, MD<\/strong>
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n