A Planetary Nebula Like This Will Only be Visible for About 10,000 Years Before it Fades Away

For some stars, their last act is a final exhalation of gases, which we call a planetary nebula. While a living being’s last breath is closely followed by death, a star can continue to shine. And that shining illuminates the final exhalation of gases like a cosmic, diaphanous veil. Astronomers have captured one such planetary …