Eye of God Nebula
General ·The beauty of the physical realm and a reminder to the spiritually minded of their place in the great scheme of things. The Helix Nebula, colloquially known as the Eye of God Nebula is the closest example of a planetary nebula created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star.
The outer gasses of the star expelled into space appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix. The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star, glows in light so energetic it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce.
The Helix Nebula, given a technical designation of NGC 7293, lies about 650 light-years away towards the constellation of Aquarius and spans about 2.5 light-years. (Source: APOD)
