Nebulae Series #1 Planetary Nebula

The first nebula we are going to investigate is the Planetary Nebula. The name of this nebula come from the early astronomers who first found them. They thought that their appearance closely resembled that of of the discs found on a planet, like the rings of Saturn.

Planetary nebulae are the most densely packed forms of nebulae. They are sometimes created when a white dwarf star forms. The formation energy of the star pushes the gases, mostly ionized hydrogen, out of the star itself. The gas forms what we see and know as the planetary nebula. The light of the star contributes to the glow of these beautiful clouds. Seen in the picture below is the Cat's Eye Nebula. This is one of the best known planetary nebulae.

Note the distinct rings around the center. Those rings are the ones that contributed to the name of this particular kind of nebulae.