Although the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) was one of the first planetary nebulae to be discovered, it has one of the most complex structures. NASA's Hubble Telescope has captured the complexity of this nebula in detail, revealing a structure of eleven or more concentric rings or shells. These 'rings' actually represent the edges of spherical bubbles visible in the sky. Observations reveal that the star ejected its mass in a series of explosions at intervals of 1500 years. These explosions created dust shells, each equivalent to the total mass of the planets in our solar system.

Planetary nebulae are a type of nebula, named after their resemblance to planets when first observed through telescopes. But in reality, a planetary nebula represents the final stage in the evolutionary process of a star like the Sun.

Several theories have been proposed to explain the nebular patterns seen around planetary nebulae such as Cat's Eye: Cycles of magnetic activity similar to the Sun's sunspot cycle, the motion of a companion star orbiting the dying star, and stellar pulsations are among these theories. An alternative view is that the material was ejected from the star in a uniform fashion, and that the rings are the result of waves created by this material as it flows outwards. More observations and theoretical studies are needed to conclude between these hypotheses.

Image Description:

Imagine a nebula in the shape of a cat's eye. In the centre is a bright point of light. As you move away from this centre, blue dust bubbles form. These bubbles appear as concentric rings on the outer edges of the nebula, resembling the layers of an onion split in half.