The remnant of an ageing star and a strikingly bright newcomer form this amazing cosmic engagement jewellery, brought to you by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) today.
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile have captured this eye-catching image of planetary nebula Abell 33. Created when an ageing star blew off its outer layers, this beautiful blue bubble is, by chance, aligned with a foreground star, and bears an uncanny resemblance to a diamond engagement ring. This cosmic gem is unusually symmetric, appearing to be almost perfectly circular on the sky.
All the cosmic ladies now put your hands up! Here is the full image of planetary nebula Abell 33:
Picture: =ESO