It is thought that the bright bar of this planetary nebula is actually a ring viewed nearly edge on, with the fainter "ears" above and below the bar
being ionized gas emanating outward from the ring in a perpendicular fashion. This ejecta was the result of stellar winds blowing material off the
central star when that star was still in its red giant evolutionary phase. M 76 offers a preview of our own Sun's fate, which will follow a similar
metamorphosis as it ages and proceeds through the red giant phase on its way to a white dwarf star billions of years from now.

 

 

 

 

Home | Image Gallery | Equipment | Observing Sites | About Dave | Links | Contact Me

 

Site and content copyright ©2004 David M. Jurasevich. All rights reserved.
No reproduction of these images are permitted without prior approval of the author.