PK80-6.1 / Planetary nebula |
R.A. | 21h 02m 18.7s (2000.0) |
Dec. | +36°41' 40" (2000.0) |
Apparent Size | 1.0×0.5' |
Real Size | 0.8×0.4 light yrs. |
Magnitude | 13.5 |
Distance | 3000 light yrs. |
It is a small planetary nebula located 9.4 degrees SSE of Deneb in the constellation Cygnus.
Due to its unique shape captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, it has become widely known by its nickname, the "Egg Nebula."
It is believed to be a bipolar protoplanetary nebula floating at a distance of about 3000 light-years, has a major axis of only one arcminute.
In this image, it is barely possible to discern two star-like clumps attached to each other.
However, large telescopes have captured the appearance of multiple spherical shells arranged like ripples.
Although the central star is shrouded in thick layers of gas and dust, it illuminates the gas that forms jets extending in the north-south direction.
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