Cat Eye Nebula 417-cat-eye-nebula-evolution-dixon –The strange and beautiful shapes of planetary nebulae, like the Cat's Eye, form through complex interactions between stellar winds and magnetic fields. A step-by-step schematic diagram illustrates the complex structural evolution of a bipolar planetary nebula, akin to the Cat's Eye Nebula. Arranged across a black void, five evolutionary stages demonstrate a central aging star shedding its outer layers into expanding rings, tori, and polar jets regulated by magnetic fields or a binary companion. The sequence culminates at the bottom with a highly detailed, nested bubble structure showing concentric orange, red, and turquoise ionization shells. Digital, 2004, for Scientific American. © 2005 by Don Dixon.
417-cat-eye-nebula-evolution-dixon –The strange and beautiful shapes of planetary nebulae, like the Cat's Eye, form through complex interactions between stellar winds and magnetic fields. A step-by-step schematic diagram illustrates the complex structural evolution of a bipolar planetary nebula, akin to the Cat's Eye Nebula. Arranged across a black void, five evolutionary stages demonstrate a central aging star shedding its outer layers into expanding rings, tori, and polar jets regulated by magnetic fields or a binary companion. The sequence culminates at the bottom with a highly detailed, nested bubble structure showing concentric orange, red, and turquoise ionization shells. Digital, 2004, for Scientific American. © 2005 by Don Dixon.
Click to open this image within the album!