This video begins with a zoom into the constellation Lyra to the location of the Ring Nebula and the new image from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Large Binocular Telescope. The view cross-fades to a three-dimensional model of the Ring Nebula that was developed from the new observations. A circuit around the 3D model showcases the main ring structure, the perpendicular lobes, the spike-like emission in the shadows of dense knots, and the halos surrounding the nebula. HubbleSite: A Hubble Heritage Release: The distinctive shape of the Ring Nebula, the glowing shroud around a dying Sun-like star, makes it a popular celestial object that appears in many astronomy books. New observations of the Ring Nebula by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, however, reveal a new twist on an iconic nebula. The Hubble images offer the best view yet of the nebula, revealing a complex structure. The observations have allowed astronomers to construct the most precise three-dimensional model of the glowing gas shroud, called a planetary nebula. Based on the new observations, the Hubble research team suggests that the ring wraps around a blue football-shaped structure that protrudes out of opposite sides of the ring. The nebula is tilted toward Earth so that astronomers see the ring face-on. Space Telescope Science Institute: This close-up, visible-light view by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveals new details of the Ring Nebula. The object is tilted toward Earth so that astronomers see the ring face-on. The Hubble observations reveal that the nebula's shape is more complicated than astronomers thought. The blue gas in the nebula's center is actually a football-shaped structure that pierces the red doughnut-shaped material. Hubble also uncovers the detailed structure of the dark, irregular knots of dense gas embedded along the inner rim of the ring. The knots look like spokes in a bicycle. The Hubble images have allowed the research team to match up the knots with the spikes of light around the bright, main ring, which are a shadow effect. The Ring Nebula is a well-known planetary nebula, the glowing remains of a Sun-like star. The tiny white dot in the center of the nebula is the star's hot core, called a white dwarf. The nebula is about 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. The structure measures roughly one light-year across. The Hubble observations were taken Sept. 19, 2011, by the Wide Field Camera 3. In the image, the deep blue color in the center represents helium; the cyan color of the inner ring is the glow of hydrogen and oxygen; and the reddish color of the outer ring is from nitrogen and sulfur. Hubble Captures a Ring: Exploring the Structure of the Ring Nebula (2/2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=setyYW9ELGQ Release Date: 23 May 2013 Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon, F. Summers, and Mary Estacion (STScI), the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration

• published: 18 Sep 2013
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