NGC 6781 is a great example of a planetary nebula — and one of Dave’s favorite deep-sky objects.
NGC 6781 is a planetary nebula in Aquila sometimes called the Snow Globe Nebula. Through a telescope, try using a nebula or OIII filter to bring out the ring. Credit: Eric Coles/Bob Fera
The Snow Globe Nebula (NGC 6781) is a unique planetary nebula lying 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Aquila. The object gets its name because the interior of the ring is partially transparent, allowing points of starlight to come through, appearing like snowflakes suspended in a snow globe.
In addition to being a great deep-sky object, it’s also a preview of what our own solar system will one day be: Planetary nebulae are formed when stars like the Sun reach the end of their lives and become unstable, shaking off their outer layers of gas on their way to becoming a white dwarf.
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