IC 418
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IC 418, also known as the Spirograph Nebula, is a bright planetary nebula located in the constellation of Lepus about 3,600 ly away from Earth. It spans 0.3 light-years across. The central star of the planetary nebula, HD 35914, is an O-type star with a spectral type of O7fp. The nebula formed a few thousand years ago during the star's last stages of its red giant phase. Material from the star's outer layers was ejected from the star into the surrounding space. The nebula's glow is caused by the central star's ultraviolet radiation interacting with the gas.
IC 418, also known as the Spirograph Nebula, is a bright planetary nebula located in the constellation of Lepus about 3,600 ly away from Earth. It spans 0.3 light-years across. The central star of the planetary nebula, HD 35914, is an O-type star with a spectral type of O7fp. The nebula formed a few thousand years ago during the star's last stages of its red giant phase. Material from the star's outer layers was ejected from the star into the surrounding space. The nebula's glow is caused by the central star's ultraviolet radiation interacting with the gas.
Naming
The name derives from the intricate pattern of the nebula, which resembles a pattern which can be created using the Spirograph, a toy that produces geometric patterns (specifically, hypotrochoids and epitrochoids) on paper. The origin of the Spirograph pattern is unknown.
References
External links
The Spirograph Nebula (IC 418) - STScI Press Release Astronomy Picture of the Day - IC 418: The Spirograph Nebula - 2010 April 11
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1348113458 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.