 This image shows one of the most complex planetary
nebula ever seen, ngc6543, nicknamed the cat's eye nebula. Hubble reveals
surprisingly intricate structures, including concentric gas shells, jets
of high speed gas, and unusual shock induced knots of gas. Estimated to be
1,000 years old, the nebula is a visual fossil record of the dynamics of
the late evolution of a dying star.
A preliminary interpretation suggests that the star
might be a double star system. The dynamical effects of two stars orbiting
one another most easily explains the intricate structure, which is more
complicated than features seen in most planetary nebulae. The two stars
are too close together to be individually resolved by Hubble, and appear
as a single point of light at the center of the nebula.
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