A stunning new image released by the U.S. space agency NASA has revealed a mysterious cosmic structure known as the Egg Nebula, captured by the powerful Hubble Space Telescope.
Scientists say the nebula is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the Cygnus constellation. The image shows a central star hidden behind thick clouds of cosmic dust, giving the entire formation a striking appearance similar to an egg yolk surrounded by a white shell of dust.
Researchers describe the object as a pre-planetary nebula, a short-lived stage in the life cycle of a dying star. During this phase, a star nearing the end of its life begins to shed its outer layers, releasing gas and dust into space and forming a glowing nebula.
The Hubble image also reveals two bright beams of light emerging from the dying star, cutting through the surrounding dust clouds at high speed. Scientists believe that the unusual structure may be influenced by the gravitational pull of one or more hidden companion stars orbiting nearby.
Astronomers note that aging stars like this often release large amounts of cosmic dust, which later becomes the building blocks for new stars and planets. Many scientists believe that our solar system itself formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a similar cloud of dust and gas.
According to researchers, the pre-planetary nebula phase is relatively brief, lasting only a few thousand years before evolving into another stage. Studying such objects therefore provides valuable insight into the birth and death of stars in the universe.