HUBBLE ATLAS
The Twin Jet Nebula (M2-9 , Twin Jet Nebula) — image from the Hubble Space Telescope

Nebulae

The Twin Jet Nebula

August 26, 2015 · ESA/Hubble · M2-9 , Twin Jet Nebula · Ophiuchus

Zoom to full resolution See where it is in the 3D sky Original on ESA/Hubble ↗

The Twin Jet Nebula, or PN M2-9, is a striking example of a bipolar planetary nebula. Bipolar planetary nebulae are formed when the central object is not a single star, but a binary system, Studies have shown that the nebula’s size increases with time, and measurements of this rate of increase suggest that the stellar outburst that formed the lobes occurred just 1200 years ago.

More Hubble images of M2-9 , Twin Jet Nebula