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An oddly circular nebula. (Image: Daily Mail)
Nebulae are composed of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas, and plasma. They can be conglomerates of dust pulled together by gravity (not massive enough to form stars or larger celestial bodies), or they can be matter expelled due to the end of a star’s life. Nebulae often form in dense, compact clouds spanning from tens to hundreds of light-years (1 light-year = 9.46 trillion kilometers).
An amateur astronomer spotted the nebula in the image in early July. Most nebulae are born from the explosive deaths of stars, often taking on elliptical or hourglass shapes. In this case, the nebula appears circular due to being formed from a massive spherical cloud of gas and dust expelled from the poles of a dying star about 22,000 years ago. It’s situated around 4,000 light-years away from the Cygnus constellation and spans roughly 5 light-years in diameter.
Experts explain that this newly discovered nebula has likely existed for quite some time, but its faint light made it challenging to detect until recently. Nebulae of this type, born from deceased stars, have relatively short lifespans, existing for only a few thousand years – a brief span compared to the billions of years that stars can live.