Astronomy Picture of the Day · January 8, 2011

NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 8, 2011 is “NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Ed Henry ( Hay Creek Observatory )). The original explanation runs about 135 words.

From the explanation

“A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, in the constellation Aquarius , a sun-like star is dying. Its last few thousand years have produced the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula , typical of this final phase of stellar evolution.”

— APOD editors, January 8, 2011

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: January 8, 2011
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Ed Henry ( Hay Creek Observatory )
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 135 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 8 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, January 8, 2011 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2011-january-8-ngc-7293-the-helix-nebula

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.