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Henize 2-428

Edited European Southern Observatory image of the planetary nebula Hen 2-248.

 

Original caption: This image of the unusual planetary nebula was obtained using ESOâs Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. In the heart of this colourful nebula lies a unique object consisting of two white dwarf stars, each with a mass a little less than that of the Sun. These stars are expected to slowly draw closer to each other and merge in around 700 million years. This event will create a dazzling supernova of Type Ia and destroy both stars.

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Uploaded on February 10, 2015