Amazing final images of stars right before they die (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“It will be found that those contained in one article [class of nebulae], are so closely allied to those in the next, that there is perhaps not so much difference between them, if I may use the comparison, as there would be in an annual description of the human figure, were it given from the birth of a child till he comes to be a man in his prime.” -William Herschel

When a star like the Sun nears the end of its life, a few things are inevitable: nuclear fusion in its core will cease, the outer layers will be blown off, and a white dwarf and planetary nebula will be the result. But this process isn’t instantaneous, and a brief phase known as a preplanetary nebula is the bridge between a red giant star and this end stage.

Image credit: ESA / NASA and the hubble Legacy Archive, created by Judy Schmidt.

With hot gas blown off in a wind and a hot core from the hydrogen burning shell, these intricate objects may be visible for only 10,000 years, but are so numerous that we’ve discovered dozens of examples just in our little corner of the galaxy.

Image credit: ESA / Hubble and NASA.

Go view a whole slew of them, and get more of their story, on today’s Mostly Mute Monday!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1lodntc

“It will be found that those contained in one article [class of nebulae], are so closely allied to those in the next, that there is perhaps not so much difference between them, if I may use the comparison, as there would be in an annual description of the human figure, were it given from the birth of a child till he comes to be a man in his prime.” -William Herschel

When a star like the Sun nears the end of its life, a few things are inevitable: nuclear fusion in its core will cease, the outer layers will be blown off, and a white dwarf and planetary nebula will be the result. But this process isn’t instantaneous, and a brief phase known as a preplanetary nebula is the bridge between a red giant star and this end stage.

Image credit: ESA / NASA and the hubble Legacy Archive, created by Judy Schmidt.

With hot gas blown off in a wind and a hot core from the hydrogen burning shell, these intricate objects may be visible for only 10,000 years, but are so numerous that we’ve discovered dozens of examples just in our little corner of the galaxy.

Image credit: ESA / Hubble and NASA.

Go view a whole slew of them, and get more of their story, on today’s Mostly Mute Monday!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1lodntc