July 2
Necklace Nebula
Observed in 2011
The Necklace Nebula contains the glowing remains of an ordinary, Sun-like star shedding material at the end of its life. The nebula consists of a bright ring, measuring 12 trillion miles across, dotted with dense, bright knots of gas that resemble diamonds in a necklace.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Space Telescope