The Cat's Eye Nebula, NGC6543, is three thousand light-year's from Earth and is over half a light year across. It is a planetary nebula, an emission nebula that consists of a shell that glows with ionized gas that has been ejected late in the star's life. The star of the Cat's Eye Nebula is very similar to the sun. The shells surrounding the nebula are outer layers being ejected in regular convulsions. The sun could have a death similar to this one in about 5 billion years. The inner structures of the nebula and their formations are not understood by scientists. Much research has been conducted with pictures being taken by the Hubble telescope such as this one.
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