Cat's Eye Nebula X-Rays

Cat's Eye Nebula X-Rays - The swirls of this glowing nebula are known to be the gaseous shroud expelled from a dying sun-like star about 3,000 light-years from Earth. This composite picture reveals surprisingly intense x-ray emission indicating the presence of extremely hot gas. X-ray emission is shown as blue-purple hues superimposed on the nebula's center. The nebula's central star itself is clearly immersed in the multimillion degree, x-ray emitting gas. Other pockets of x-ray hot gas seem to be bordered by cooler gas emitting strongly at optical wavelengths, a clear indication that expanding hot gas is sculpting the visible Cat's Eye filaments and structures. Gazing into the Cat's Eye, astronomers see the fate of our sun, destined to enter its own planetary nebula phase of evolution...in about 5 billion years. — at lmage Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/STScI.