NGC 7293 (The Helix Nebula)

The Helix Nebula (also known as NGC 7293 or Caldwell 63) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824. The Helix, located 650 light-years away, is one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth. It is similar in appearance to the Cat's Eye Nebula and the Ring Nebula, whose size, age, and physical characteristics are similar to the Dumbbell Nebula, varying only in its relative proximity and the appearance from the equatorial viewing angle. The Helix Nebula has sometimes been referred to as the "Eye of God" in pop culture, as well as the "Eye of Sauron".

This portrait shows a view down a trillion-mile-long tunnel of glowing gases that were ejected during the final years of an aging star. Astronomers, however, believe that the Helix is actually shaped like a tube. We don’t see the elongated shape because one end of the tubular-shaped nebula is pointed toward Earth. The Helix is an example of a planetary nebula, the expanding shell of glowing gas around a dying, Sun-like star. In spite of the name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planet formation. These glowing gas clouds got their name because they look like the disks of planets when viewed through a small telescope. A planetary nebula is created late in a star’s life when the star’s outer layers of material escape into space. In this view, thousands of gaseous tentacles embedded along the inner rim of the nebula points back toward the central, dying star, a small but super-hot white dwarf that seems to float in a sea of blue gas (white dot in center of nebula). These tentacles, which superficially resemble comets, formed when a hot “stellar wind” of particles plowed into colder shells of dust and gas ejected previously by the doomed star. The Helix’s actual diameter is about 2.5 light-years.

[Nasa.com]