The planetary nebula, IC 4593, lies in the northern constellation Hercules, about 7,000 light-years away from Earth. Its colorful, intricate shape reveals how the glowing gas ejected by a dying Sun-like star evolved dramatically over time. Over thousands of years, the clouds of gas expand away and the nebula becomes larger. Energetic ultraviolet light from the star penetrates more deeply into the gas, causing the hydrogen and oxygen to glow more prominently. This snapshot was taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in February 2007.
