Also known as the Eye of God, this Planetary nebula is one of my favourite deep sky objects and always brings a smile to my face when I see it. Planetary nebulas like this are the result of a star reaching the end of its life. In this case there is a tiny star seen in the centre of the nebula that’s causing all the ruckus. It’s shedding off its outer layers and releasing so much energy that it lights up the gasses and causes the glow. The small star is known as “WD 2226-210” and is destined to become a white dwarf. It’s size is often compared to the size of earth.

This stellar beauty is located in the constellation of Aquarius and will be a target I return to in future to see if I can get an even better photo someday.,