via NatGeonews:
The May 4, 2009, parting shot captured a planetary nebula known as Kohoutek 4-55, which contains the outer layers of a red giant star. The layers were ejected into interstellar space during the star's dying throes.
The nebula's glow comes from ultraviolet radiation emanating from the remaining hot core of the star.
The colors seen in the image represent different gases emitted by the star—red shows nitrogen, green shows hydrogen, and blue shows oxygen.
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