[4] The term "planetary nebula" is a misnomer because they are unrelated to planets. The term originates from the planet-like round shape of these nebulae observed by astronomers through …

planetary nebula, any of a class of bright nebulae that are expanding shells of luminous gas expelled by dying stars.

When a star like our Sun dies, it doesn’t explode into a supernova or collapse into a black hole. Instead, it gently sheds its outer layers, which form a beautiful cloud called a “planetary …

Nov 1, 2024 · Planetary nebulae are emission nebulae created when low-mass stars exhaust their fuel and shed outer layers into space. The core of the dying star illuminates a gas shell …

A planetary nebula is a type of emission nebula that consists of an expanding, glowing shell of ionized gas ejected from red giant stars late in their lives. The name “planetary nebula” is a bit …

Jul 30, 2025 · Since their discovery in the late 1700s, astronomers have learned that planetary nebulae, or the expanding shell of glowing gas expelled by a low-intermediate mass star late …

A planetary nebula is a region of cosmic gas and dust formed from the cast-off outer layers of a dying star. Despite their name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets.

Oct 18, 2025 · What is a Planetary Nebula? Planetary nebulae are one of the most beautiful and intriguing phenomena in the universe. Despite their name, they have nothing to do with …

Oct 30, 2025 · The curious architecture of the great space spider that hides a secret Planetary nebulae like NGC 6537 form during post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) evolution when stellar …

So, what is a planetary nebula? They are an amazing source of information for understanding the life cycle of stars and what’s left when some of them are gone.