Compact and round, NGC 7008 is recognized as
a planetary nebula about 2,800 light-years distant in the nebula
rich constellation of Cygnus. The intriguing assortment of
features within the nebula's approximately 1 light-year diameter
suggest its popular name, the Fetus Nebula, but planetary
nebulae are not associated with star birth. Instead, nebulae
like NGC 7008 are produced during a brief phase that sun-like
stars pass through toward the end of their lives. Ejecting their
outer layers, the stars cool to eventually become white dwarf
stars, like the star seen near the center of NGC 7008. This
colorful image also includes an unrelated but still lovely gold
and blue binary star system just below NGC 7008.
