HUBBLE ATLAS
A glowing pool of light (NGC 3132 , Southern Ring Nebula) — image from the Hubble Space Telescope

Nebulae

A glowing pool of light

November 5, 1998 · ESA/Hubble · NGC 3132 , Southern Ring Nebula · Vela

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NGC 3132 is a striking example of a planetary nebula. This expanding cloud of gas, surrounding a dying star, is known to amateur astronomers in the southern hemisphere as the 'Eight-Burst' or the 'Southern Ring' Nebula.