NGC 2392

NGC 2392 is a stunning planetary nebula containing the glowing remains of a dying Sun-like star that has shed its outer layers in the final stages of its stellar evolution. The bright, luminous central region reveals material being actively blown away by powerful stellar winds from the nebula's hot central star, which has temperatures reaching tens of thousands of degrees. This dramatic process creates intricate structures of expanding gas shells, giving the nebula its distinctive appearance that has earned it the nickname 'Eskimo Nebula' due to its resemblance to a face surrounded by a fur parka hood. Located approximately 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Gemini, NGC 2392 provides astronomers with a preview of the fate awaiting our own Sun in about 5 billion years, when it too will exhaust its nuclear fuel and cast off its outer layers to create a similar celestial spectacle.