Planetary nebula. Hubble space telescope image of the NGC 6826 planetary nebula around a dying star. About half the star's mass has been ejected to form the nebula. The hot remnant at the centre is brighter than any other which has a planetary neb- ula. It ejects a wind of particles which collides with older material to form a hot, interior bubble. The wind drives older material before it to give the bubble a bright rim. The red areas are old, cool gas hit by faster gas streaming from the star. NGC 6826 is 2200 light years away in the Cygnus constellation. Image taken by Hubble's Wide Field & Planetary Camera 2 on 27 January 1997.