Astronomy Picture of the Day · April 18, 2006

NGC 246 and the Dying Star

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 18, 2006 is “NGC 246 and the Dying Star,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Gemini South GMOS, Travis Rector ( Univ. Alaska ). The original explanation runs about 144 words.

From the explanation

“Appropriately nicknamed “the Skull Nebula”, planetary nebula NGC 246 really does surround a dying star some 1,600 light-years away in the constellation Cetus . Expelled over a period of thousands of years, the lovely, intricate nebula is the outer atmosphere of a once sun-like star .”

— APOD editors, April 18, 2006

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: April 18, 2006
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Gemini South GMOS, Travis Rector ( Univ. Alaska )
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 144 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: April 18 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, April 18, 2006 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2006-april-18-ngc-246-and-the-dying-star

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.