Hubble Takes Spectacular Photograph Of Nebula And Star Together

Like a fireball in the sky, this photograph shows a starry couple worthy of the red carpet. The central star is Hen 2-427, more commonly known as WR 124, and the star's partner is M1-67, a nebula responsible for the dramatic red "skirt." The nebula is a tender 10,000 years old, but that doesn't stop it from packing a visual punch.

A nebula, like this flowery red one, is a cloud of interstellar dust that is emitted when a star enters "retirement." It sheds its outer layers of material in a beautiful finale. The different colors of light represent various elements present in the cloud. 

This glamorous duo can be found in the constellation of Sagittarius around 15,000 light-years away. 

^{Star surrounded by nebula. Judy Schmidt/ESA/Hubble & NASA.}