Did the Helix Nebula catch your eye? 👁️ All eyes are on this eerie Spitzer Space telescope image that shows infrared radiation from the well-studied Helix Nebula, a mere 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. The two-light-year diameter shroud of dust and gas around a central white dwarf, is an example of a planetary nebula, one of the final stages in the evolution of a Sun-like star. The dust makes this cosmic eye gleam red. The nebular material was ejected from the star many thousands of years ago, the close-in dust could be generated by collisions in a reservoir of objects, like our own solar system’s Kuiper Belt or cometary Oort cloud. Formed in the distant planetary system, the comet-like bodies have otherwise survived the dramatic late stages of the star’s evolution. Keep an eye out as we highlight some of our favorite nebulae this November! 👀 Image credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Kate Su (Steward Obs, U. Arizona) et al. #NASA #NebulaNovember #HelixNebula #Ast...