Cat's Eye Nebula Age. The central star will continue to expand for another 10,000 years, give or take, just a tiny fraction of its total lifespan, until the central star runs out of atmosphere. This hubble space telescope image shows one of the most complex planetary nebulae ever seen, ngc 6543, nicknamed the 'cat's eye nebula.'.
Age of the eye this hubble space telescope image shows one of the most complex planetary nebulae ever seen, ngc 6543, nicknamed the 'cat's eye nebula.' This image reveals new details of the cat’s eye nebula (catalogued as ngc 6543), one of the most complex planetary nebulae ever seen. It was the first planetary nebula whose spectrum was investigated by the english amateur astronomer william huggins, demonstrating that planetary nebulae were gaseous and not stellar in nature.
The cat's eye nebula (ngc 6543) is a planetary nebula in the constellation of draco.
The size and expansion rate of the cat’s eye suggest the nebula is just 1,000 years old. In the center of the cat's eye there. The other nebulosity, much fainter was apparently ejected from the star previously every 1,500 years or so. My second approach to look into the cat's eye (ngc6543).