planetary nebula
planetary nebula
As a giant star exhausts its nuclear fuel, it undergoes significant changes in its core and outer layers. The core contracts and heats up, while the outer layers expand and become unstable. Eventually, these outer layers are ejected into space due to strong stellar winds, forming a planetary nebula. The exposed hot core, now a white dwarf, emits ultraviolet radiation that ionizes the ejected material, causing the nebula to glow.
When the outer envelope of a red giant is ejected, it marks the end of its life cycle as the star sheds its outer layers. This event typically occurs during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase, leading to the formation of a planetary nebula. The core that remains becomes a white dwarf, which will eventually cool and fade over time. The ejected material enriches the surrounding interstellar medium with heavier elements, contributing to the formation of new stars and planets.
A supergiant star can explode into a supernova, where the outer layers are ejected into space. What remains may collapse into a neutron star or black hole, depending on the mass of the original star.
From the outer most layer in, the layers are: Crust Mantle Outer Core Inner Core
A planetary nebula forms after a main sequence star casts off its outer layers. The ejected gas and dust create a beautiful glowing shell of ionized gas that surrounds the remaining hot core of the star, known as a white dwarf.
When a sunlike star exhausts its hydrogen fuel, it expands into a red giant. During this phase, the star's core contracts and heats up, allowing helium fusion to begin. As it expands, the outer layers cool and become more luminous, giving the star its red appearance. Eventually, the outer layers are ejected, leaving behind a hot core that becomes a white dwarf.
The core of the star can collapse to form a neutron star or a black hole. The outer layers of the star can be ejected into space, enriching the surrounding interstellar medium with heavy elements.
the inner layers are very cool, the outer layers are somewhat cool
the layers of the earth is crust (oceanic and continental), mantle and core (outer and inner)
The main types of nebulae are emission nebulae, reflection nebulae, dark nebulae, and planetary nebulae. Emission nebulae glow with their own light, often due to hydrogen gas being ionized by nearby stars. Reflection nebulae reflect light from nearby stars. Dark nebulae are dense clouds of dust that obscure light. Planetary nebulae are the ejected outer layers of dying stars.
When a star the size of our Sun dies, it will go through a series of stages, ultimately becoming a red giant and shedding its outer layers. This process will leave behind a dense core known as a white dwarf, which will gradually cool and fade over billions of years. The ejected outer layers will form a planetary nebula, enriching the surrounding space with elements that can contribute to the formation of new stars and planets.