--- title: "Astronomy Picture of the Day: 10/24/13 – The Fetus Nebula [NGC 708]" description: "[caption id=\"attachment_8328\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"525\"] Image Credit: Dietmar Hager, Don Goldman, Paul Mortfield[/caption] Mimicking the mechanism of an embryo swaddled in a mother's uterus, the fetus nebula actually shows the opposite effect... Instead of starting off its life, this one shows a sun-like star that has reached one of the final phases of stellar evolution --..." date: "2013-10-24" modified: "2013-10-24" authors: - name: "Jaime Trosper" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jaimefqtq" url: "https://futurism.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-102413-the-fetus-nebula-ngc-708-2" categories: - "From Quarks to Quasars" --- # Astronomy Picture of the Day: 10/24/13 – The Fetus Nebula \[NGC 708\] ![]() [![Image Credit: Dietmar Hager, Don Goldman, Paul Mortfield]()]() *Image Credit: Dietmar Hager, Don Goldman, Paul Mortfield* Mimicking the mechanism of an embryo swaddled in a mother's uterus, the fetus nebula actually shows the opposite effect... Instead of starting off its life, this one shows a sun-like star that has reached one of the final phases of stellar evolution -- the planetary nebula phase. Also known as NGC 7008, the fetus nebula is located more than 2,800 light-years from Earth in the constellation known as Cygnus. As you can see, this celestial region possesses a plethora of eye-pleasing colors, which are representative of the tools used to create a balanced image of the nebula (as seen over the course of a total 12 observational hours, through broad and narrow-band filters). Beneath the nebula is a binary system, in the gold and blue, which is responsible for creating this nebula and is known as HJ 1606. ## 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.