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This collection contains planetary nebulas that have been observed both by Chandra and Hubble. Planetary nebulas are a phase that stars like the Sun undergo after they run out of nuclear fuel (as the Sun will billions of years from now). X-rays reveal the hottest and most energetic processes, including shock waves created by rapid winds from the star colliding with slower-moving material that has previously been ejected by the star.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/RIT/SAO/J.Kastner; Optical: NASA/ESA/AURA/STScI/Univ. Washington, B.Balick )
This collection contains planetary nebulas that have been observed both by Chandra and Hubble. Planetary nebulas are a phase that stars like the Sun undergo after they run out of nuclear fuel (as the Sun will billions of years from now). X-rays reveal the hottest and most energetic processes, including shock waves created by rapid winds from the star colliding with slower-moving material that has previously been ejected by the star.
(Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/RIT/SAO/J.Kastner; Optical: NASA/ESA/AURA/STScI/Univ. Washington, B.Balick )
Return to Planetary Nebula: Misnamed but Not Misunderstood (December 6, 2021)
Revised: November 29, 2022