Fireworks Display In The Helix Nebula

The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293, is not only one of the most interesting and beautiful planetary nebulae; it is also one of the closest nebulae to Earth, at a distance of only 710 light years away. A new image, taken with an infrared camera on the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, shows tens of thousands of previously unseen comet-shaped knots inside the nebula. The sheer number of knots — more than have ever been seen before — looks like a massive fireworks display in space.

Source: About Heartburn / GERD