How long do planetary nebulae last on average? What are some of the controlling factors? Doug Kaupa Council Bluffs, Iowa To understand how long a planetary nebula remains visible, we first need to ...

Since the discovery of planetary nebulae in the late 1700s, astronomers have learned that these expanding shells of glowing gas expelled by low-intermediate mass stars late in their lives can come in ...

Planetary nebulae like the Crystal Ball Nebula (NGC 1514) are sort of like stellar obituaries. Though crystal balls supposedly reveal the future, the Crystal Ball Nebula tells us more about the past.

This week, Astronomy magazine Editor Emeritus Dave Eicher invites you to find the Ring Nebula in the constellation Lyra - a glowing shell of gas that offers a glimpse of our solar system’s distant ...

Planetary nebulae represent a brief but crucial phase in the life cycle of low- to intermediate-mass stars (1–8 M⊙). After exhausting hydrogen and helium in their cores, such stars ascend the ...

Planetary nebulae offer snapshots of stellar change. They show what can happen when stars like our sun eventually exhaust ...

The Helix Nebula is one of the most well-known and commonly photographed planetary nebulae because it resembles the “Eye of Sauron.” It is also one of the closest bright nebulae to Earth, located ...

The space around our planet is filled with mysteries and wonders, many of which are brought to light with reassuring regularity by the space telescopes that keep watch of our surroundings. The most ...