# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C-aiJ-iMLGe
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35585063-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/147e057d5b.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-08-08T15:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

Today we celebrate cats! 😺

8 August is International Cat Day, and we’re taking our celebration three thousand light years away, to the mesmerizing Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543)! 

Captured in stunning detail by @hubbleesa, this cosmic gem showcases intricate bubbles of glowing gas, a breathtaking finale as the central star nears the end of its life.

Unlike their explosive, supernova-prone cousins, stars like our Sun form planetary nebulas, ejecting layers of material in a celestial dance that resembles a planet in small telescopes. Discovered by William Herschel in 1786, the Cat’s Eye Nebula is a favorite for astronomers, from amateurs resolving its distinct shape to large telescopes uncovering a vast halo.

First revealing its intricate structure in 1994 (see images 2-4), Hubble’s observations hint at a dramatic history of mass ejections every 1500 years, crafting dust shells with the combined mass of all our Solar System’s planets! 

Published in 2004, the main image is a reminder of the beauty and complexity of our Universe.

📸 J.P. Harrington and K.J. Borkowski (@univofmaryland), and @NASA / @europeanspaceagency; @creativecommons CC BY 4.0
📸 ESA, NASA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (@space_telescopes/AURA); CC BY 4.0
🖥️ NASA, ESA, and Romano Corradi (Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Spain)
📹 NASA, ESA, HEIC, NOT, Digitized Sky Survey 2, The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and Romano Corradi (Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Spain)

#InternationalCatDay #CatsEyeNebula

## Stats

- **Views:** 44,556
- **Likes:** 16,056
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 67

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

## Tags

catseyenebula, internationalcatday

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