Exploring the Structure of the Egg Nebula

This visualization examines the Hubble Space Telescope image of the Egg Nebula and showcases the shape and development of its three-dimensional components. The dying star has repeatedly ejected thin shells of gas and dust over the last 5,000 years. During the last 400 years, bipolar lobes have burst forth. This central activity is hidden behind a dense dusty disk. The light from the star, blocked by the disk and lobes, escapes toward the poles and creates a twin searchlight appearance.