Will our
Sun
look like this one day? The Helix Nebula is the closest example of a planetary nebula created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. The outer gasses of the star
expelled into space appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix.
The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star, glows in light so
energetic it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce.