Alien planet and Helix nebula. Computer illustration of a view across the rocky surface of an alien planet towards the Helix nebula (NGC 7293) above t

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Alien planet and Helix nebula. Computer illustration of a view across the rocky surface of an alien planet towards the Helix nebula (NGC 7293) above the horizon. This nebula lies around 700 light years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius and belongs to a class of objects known as planetary nebulae. Planetary nebulae are the remains of stars that once looked a lot like the Sun. When sun-like stars die, they puff out their outer gaseous layers, which are heated by the hot core of the dead white dwarf star (white dot, centre) and shine with infrared and visible colours.

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Size: 5315px × 3898px
Photo credit: © Simon Stone / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, 7293, alien, artwork, astronomical, astronomy, atmosphere, cosmological, cosmology, dead, death, dwarf, exoplanet, exosolar, extrasolar, gas, gases, helix, illustration, nebula, ngc, planet, planetary, remains, rock, rocks, rocky, science, solar, space, star, starry, stars, sun-, surface, white