A team of astronomers observed the ghostly aura of a dying star, potentially heralding what will happen to the sun.
According to Space.com, the astronomers with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) dubbed slowly collapsing star "The Southern Owl Nebula." The researchers spotted it with the ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile.
"Planetary nebulae are created by the ejected and expanding gas of dying stars," the ESO stated in a press release. "Although they are brilliant and intriguing objects in the initial stages of formation, these bubbles fade away as their constituent gas moves away and the central stars grow dimmer.
"For a planetary nebula to form, the aging star must have a mass less than about eight times that of the Sun. Stars that are heavier than this limit will end their lives in dramatic fashion as supernova explosions."
The Southern Owl Nebula was once a red giant star, but it ran out of fuel and began ejecting gas while retaining its core. The astronomers believe at least 10,000 planetary nebulae exist throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, though very few have been spotted.
"Planetary nebulae play a crucial role in the chemical enrichment and evolution of the Universe," the ESO stated. "Elements such as carbon and nitrogen, as well as some other heavier elements, are created in these stars and returned to the interstellar medium. Out of this material new stars, planets and eventually life can form."
