The future of our Sun

artiteacher A misleading historical name

artiteacher The planetary nebula phase

I'll shed my glowing layers in a cosmic sigh, and leave a shining white dwarf in the sky.

artiteacher The glowing gas show

artiteacher Intense radiation from the exposed core lights up the escaping gas.

artiteacher Planetary nebulae have absolutely nothing to do with actual planets.

BETA

artiteacher Swipe away the red giant's outer layers to discover how a planetary nebula forms.

Fun Fact

Cosmic recycling: Most of the carbon in your body was once ejected by ancient planetary nebulae.

Glossary

planetary nebula (noun)
An expanding shell of gas ejected from a star during the latter stages of its evolution. The Sun will eject its outer layers to form this expanding shell in about five billion years.

Gossip

Which nebula shape is prettiest?

Quiz

What elements are returned to space by the Sun's planetary nebula?

artiteacher The final cosmic exhale

Quiz

How long does the glowing planetary nebula phase typically last?

artiteacher Seeding the next generation

Quiz

How does the Sun eject its outer layers into space?

Quiz

What is the glowing shell of gas ejected by a dying medium star called?

Quiz

Why do planetary nebulae glow in vibrant colors?

Quiz

Which astronomer coined the misleading term 'planetary nebula' in the 1780s?

Quiz

What will eventually happen to the gas ejected during the planetary nebula phase?

Quiz

Why did early astronomers think planetary nebulae looked like planets?