Cat's Eye Nebula Age

The nebula was discovered by William Herschelon February 15 1786 and was the first planetary nebula to be observed with a spectroscope by William Hugginsin 1864.

Cat's eye nebula age. No two look alike. It is a Planetary Nebula expanding gas shell ejected from an end-of-life star in the constellation of the Dragon whose age is estimated at only 1000 years and the distance at only 5200 light years. The Cat Eye Nebula NGC 6543 is a mythical object from the deep sky of the Northern Hemisphere.

The Cats Eye Nebula was first observed on February 15 1786 by William Herschel. The central nebula very bright was formed 1000 years ago. It was the first planetary nebula to have its spectrum measured which demonstrated that it was largely composed of hot gases.

The full beauty of the Cats Eye Nebula NGC 6543 is revealed in this new detailed view from NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. The nebulas structural complexity may be the result of material being expelled from a binary central star but the existence of a binary companion has not yet been. Herschel was a German-born astronomer who emigrated to Great Britain at age 19.

It is similar in appearance to the Cats 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. The Cat Eye Nebula NGC 6543 is a mythical object from the deep sky of the Northern Hemisphere. Structurally it is one of the most complex of the known nebulae.

The image from Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys ACS shows a bulls eye pattern of eleven or even more concentric rings or shells around the Cats Eye. Approximately 1000 years ago the pattern of mass loss suddenly changed and the Cats Eye Nebula itself started forming inside the dusty shells. The different age material then interacts to form the various shock waves knots you can see.

The Cats Eye Nebula was discovered by Herschel in the late 18th century. The size and expansion rate of the Cats Eye suggest the nebula is just 1000 years old. High-resolution images from the Hubble Space Telescope revealed extraordinary structures such as nodes jets and arch-like features.