Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Draco (Dra)  ·  Contains:  HD164963  ·  IC 4677  ·  NGC 6552
NGC 6543 - The Cat's Eye Nebula, KTAZ
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NGC 6543 - The Cat's Eye Nebula

NGC 6543 - The Cat's Eye Nebula, KTAZ
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NGC 6543 - The Cat's Eye Nebula

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Description

Though the Cat's Eye Nebula was one of the first planetary nebulae to be discovered, it is one of the most complex such nebulae ever seen. Planetary nebulae form when Sun-like stars gently eject their outer gaseous layers, creating amazing and confounding shapes. The Cat's Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543, is a visual "fossil record" of the dynamics and late evolution of a dying star. It is estimated to be 1,000 years old. Structurally, the object has had high-resolution images by the Hubble Space Telescope revealing knots, jets, bubbles and complex arcs, being illuminated by the central hot planetary nebula nucleus.

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NGC 6543 - The Cat's Eye Nebula, KTAZ