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Abell 33 and its Unrelated Star

Edited ESO image of the planetary nebula Abell 33 with its coincident star.

 

Original caption: Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile have captured this eye-catching image of planetary nebula Abell 33. Created when an aging star blew off its outer layers, this beautiful blue bubble is, by chance, aligned with a foreground star, and bears an uncanny resemblance to a diamond engagement ring. This cosmic gem is unusually symmetric, appearing to be almost perfectly circular on the sky.

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Uploaded on April 11, 2014
Taken on April 10, 2014