---
title: "Astronomy Photo of the Day (APotD): 10/18/14  — The Southern Ring Nebula"
description: "[caption id=\"attachment_3351\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"672\" class=\" \"] Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, ESA, NASA; Processing - Donald Waid[/caption]  The subject of this dynamic portrait of a dead star is located more than 2,000 light-years away (in the constellation known as Vela).  NGC 3132, as its formally called (the Southern Ring Nebula, the Eight-burst nebula, and Caldwell 74 are just unofficial..."
date: "2013-04-12"
modified: "2013-04-12"
authors:
  - name: "Jaime Trosper"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jaimefqtq"
url: "https://futurism.com/apotd-southern-ring-nebula"
categories:
  - "From Quarks to Quasars"
---

# Astronomy Photo of the Day (APotD): 10/18/14  — The Southern Ring Nebula

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/548552_444500618969686_277202822_n.jpg>)

[![Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, ESA, NASA; Processing - Donald Waid](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/548552_444500618969686_277202822_n.jpg>)](<http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1304/ngc3132_waid_1041.jpg>)
**Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, ESA, NASA; Processing - Donald Waid**

The subject of this dynamic portrait of a dead star is located more than 2,000 light-years away (in the constellation known as Vela). [ NGC 3132](<http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1998/39/image/a/>), as its formally called (the Southern Ring Nebula, the Eight-burst nebula, and Caldwell 74 are just unofficial nicknames), is a planetary nebula that was formed in the final moments of a sun-like star's lifetime. In fact, our own Sun may one day form something similar to this (don't panic though, we still have about 4 billion years left).

Once the reserve of fuel forged in its core was gone, with the red giant phase of stellar evolution a fresh memory, the star expelled its outer layers of gas off into space, forming this intricate nebula, equipped with a cooler shell of gas with filamentary dust lanes. The purplish area is representative of the light streaming from the surface of the hot white-dwarf at the nebula's center.

One of the most poetic things about the universe is the fact that from death, new life arises. It's a continuous cycle of rebirth. If that isn't beautiful, *what is*?

See a larger image [here](<http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1304/ngc3132_waid_960.jpg>).

## Author
Jaime is a freelance writer, who finds great joy in sharing the wonders of universe with others. She used this passion to launch "From Quarks to Quasars" in 2012.