Stellar Evolution Collection

Nebula Sh 2-106, HST image
Nebula Sh 2-106, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image. Combined optical and infrared image of the compact star-forming region and emission nebula Sharpless 2-106 (Sh 2-106)

Interacting galaxies Arp 147, HST image
Interacting galaxies Arp 147. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of a pair of interacting galaxies known as Arp 147. The galaxy at left is relatively undisturbed apart from a smooth ring of

Helix nebula, infrared Spitzer image
Helix nebula (NGC 7293), infrared Spitzer Space Telescope image. This is a planetary nebula, a series of shells of gas cast off by a dying star

James Webb Space Telescope, artwork
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), artwork. This is an infrared telescope that is scheduled to be launched in 2014. It will have a 6.5-metre-diameter mirror (yellow)

Tarantula Nebula, composite image
Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus). Combined optical and infrared image of the large star-forming region known as the Tarantula Nebula

X-ray binary system, artwork. X-ray binary star system, artwork. Material is being gravitationally drawn from a red giant star (upper left) by a black hole (lower right)

Black hole and galaxy, artwork
Black hole and galaxy. Artwork of a black hole and a galaxy seen edge-on. A black hole is formed when the core of a sufficiently massive star collapses under its own weight

Supermassive black hole, artwork C016 / 9724
Supermassive black hole. Artwork of an accretion disc of infalling material (orange) and a high-energy particle jet (blue) associated with a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy

Evolution of supernova 1993J, 1993-2000 C016 / 9605
Evolution of supernova 1993J. Radio telescope observations of the expanding shell formed by supernova SN 1993J between May 1993 (top left) and February 2000 (bottom right)

Discovery of supernova 1993J C016 / 9604
Discovery of supernova 1993J. X-ray telescope images of the central region of the galaxy M81 in October 1992 (left) and April 1993 (right), showing the appearance of the supernova SN 1993J (arrowed)

Planet destroyed by white dwarf, artwork C015 / 0781
Planet destroyed by white dwarf. Artwork of the white dwarf star GD 362 pulling apart a planet. The debris is being incorporated into Saturn-like rings

Planet destroyed by white dwarf, artwork C015 / 0782
Planet destroyed by white dwarf. Artwork of the white dwarf star GD 362 pulling apart a planet. The debris is being incorporated into Saturn-like rings

Black hole, artwork C014 / 1244
Black hole. Artwork of the spherical region where light is trapped around a black hole, with surrounding interstellar material (blue) being pulled inwards

RMC 136a star cluster, infrared image C014 / 5038
RMC 136a star cluster, infrared image. This young cluster has three bright stars that when formed each weighed more than 150 times the mass of the Sun

Monkey Head Nebula, HST image C013 / 5760
Monkey Head Nebula. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of pillars of glowing gas and dark dust in the Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174)

Nebula and star cluster NGC 6604 C014 / 5043
Nebula and star cluster NGC 6604, optical and ultraviolet image. NGC 6604 is the bright grouping of stars at upper left. It is a young star cluster that is the densest part of a more widely scattered

W33A protostar accretion disc, artwork C015 / 0806
W33A protostar accretion disc. Artwork of the accretion disc (yellow-orange), the outer torus (cloudy, dusty ring), and polar outflow jets (blue)

Supernova and Earth, artwork C015 / 0802
Supernova and Earth. Artwork of a supernova (upper right) occurring relatively near Earth. This is the explosive death of a massive star as it collapses after running out of fuel

Supernova, artwork C013 / 5641
Supernova, artwork. This explosive event is the result of a massive star exhausting the hydrogen and helium that fuel its nuclear fires

Planetary nebula NGC 5198, HST image
Planetary nebula NGC 5198, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image. Combined optical and infrared image of the planetary nebula NGC 5198

Helix Nebula, composite image C016 / 3864
Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), composite image. This object is a planetary nebula, a dying star ejecting its dusty outer layers

Pre-planetary nebula, HST image C013 / 5017
Pre-planetary nebula. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of the pre-planetary nebula IRAS 23166+1655 (spiral at left). Behind the spiral of gas is thought to be a binary star system

Alien patterns on a neutron star, artwork
Alien patterns on a neutron star. Artwork of a neutron star with patterns on its surface. Neutron stars are the super-dense remains of a massive star that has collapsed under its own gravity

Future red giant Sun

Death of the Sun. Artwork of the Sun forming a planetary nebula at the end of its lifetime. A planetary nebula is an expanding shell of gas (blue and pink)

Future Earth. Artwork of the surface of a barren future Earth orbiting the Sun (blue, lower left), which has become a white dwarf. The Moon is seen at centre right

Omega Nebula. Optical image of the Omega Nebula, also known as Messier 17 and NGC 6618. This is an emission nebula, where hot

Star forming region

Computer artwork of stages in a stars life
Life of a star. Computer illustration of stages in the life of a star like our own Sun. The star is born (upper right) from the gravitational contrac- tion of a cloud of gas (nebula)

Ant planetary nebula

Kepler supernova remnant, Chandra image
Kepler supernova remnant. Chandra X-ray Observatory image of the the Kepler supernova remnant, an expanding cloud of glowing gas that formed following a supernova

First generation of stars, artwork
First generation of stars. Artwork of the first stars in the universe, thought to have formed over 13 billion years ago, when the universe was only a few million years old

Dumbbell planetary nebula (M27)
Dumbbell Nebula. Optical image of the Dumbbell planetary nebula (M27, NGC 6853). This has nothing to do with a planet. It is actually a shell of gas ejected from a star near the end of its life

Neutron star, artwork
Neutron star. Artwork of a neutron star. This super-dense astronomical object is the remains of a massive star that has collapsed under its own gravity

Black hole, conceptual computer artwork. Matter is spiralling into the black hole, dragged by immense gravitational forces. This will cause the material to give off high-energy X-rays

Variable star. Artwork of a variable Mira-type binary star system, seen from the surface of a nearby planet. The system, which consists of a large red giant star (left)

Planetary disc around a pulsar, artwork
Planetary disc around a pulsar. Artwork of a disc of rocky debris (brown) surrounding a pulsar (centre). A pulsar, a rotating neutron star, is the collapsed

Planetary nebula, X-ray composite
Planetary nebula. Combined X-ray and optical image of the planetary nebula BD+30-3639. A planetary nebula is a bubble of hot gas and dust, many times the size of our solar system

Neutron star structure, artwork
Neutron star structure. Artwork of the neutron star at the centre of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. A neutron star forms when the core of a dying star collapses into a super-dense state only a

Early universe, artwork
Early universe. Artwork showing the clumping of matter in stellar nurseries in the early universe. Stars form when gravitational accretion causes clumps of gas and dust (nebulae)

VY Canis Majoris. Combined polarised light Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Keck Observatory image of gaseous outbursts from the red supergiant star VY Canis Majoris

Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), optical image. This is a planetary nebula, a series of shells of gas cast off by a dying star. The ejection of the stars outer layers exposes its hot core

Life-cycle of the Sun, artwork
Life-cycle of the Sun, computer artwork. Our Sun was created approximately 4.6 million years ago from the gravitational collapse of giant molecular cloud (GMC, left)

Starbirth region, artwork
Starbirth region. Artwork of a stellar nursery, with many proto-stars lighting up the interstellar gas and dust (nebula) from which the stars are forming

Sun over dying Earth, artwork
Sun over dying Earth. Computer artwork of the Sun, around 5 billion years in the future, heating a dying Earth. The oceans have evaporated, leaving salt-encrusted rocks

Swift mission gamma ray burst map, 2010
Swift mission gamma ray burst map. This map shows the 500 gamma ray bursts (GRBs) detected by NASAs Swift mission while in Earth orbit between December 2004 and April 2010

Black hole and infalling matter. A black hole is formed when the core of a star collapses under its own weight, increasing the strength of its gravitational field to the point where not even light

Star child, conceptual image
MODEL RELEASED. Star child. Conceptual image of a sleeping childs face glowing with a pale light against a background of stars. This image can represent a child dreaming of travelling to the stars

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"Unveiling the Cosmic Drama: A Journey through Stellar Evolution" Embark on a mesmerizing voyage into the depths of space, where celestial wonders unfold and stars undergo remarkable transformations. Witness the captivating dance of creation and destruction as we explore the enigmatic phenomenon known as stellar evolution. Our odyssey commences with Nebula Sh 2-106, an ethereal beauty captured by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Its vibrant hues reveal a stellar nursery, where new stars are born amidst swirling gas and dust. Behold this cosmic cradle that nurtures life's celestial spark. Next, we encounter Interacting galaxies Arp 147 in another breathtaking HST image. These galactic companions engage in a gravitational tango, their intricate embrace shaping their destinies. Witness how these interactions can trigger bursts of star formation or even lead to colossal collisions that reshape entire galaxies. Venturing further into this cosmic tapestry, we stumble upon the Helix Nebula unveiled through an infrared Spitzer image. Its delicate tendrils illuminate our understanding of dying stars like our Sun—a glimpse into humanity's future fate billions of years from now when it exhausts its nuclear fuel. As we continue our expedition, imagination takes flight with artwork depicting James Webb Space Telescope—an upcoming marvel poised to revolutionize our perception of distant worlds and unravel mysteries yet unseen. The Tarantula Nebula beckons us next with its awe-inspiring composite image—a testament to nature's grandeur. This stellar nursery hosts thousands of newborn stars amidst vast clouds of gas and dust—where chaos gives birth to beauty. Delving deeper into cosmic enigmas, let us ponder black holes—the ultimate abysses devouring all light and matter they encounter—depicted vividly through stunning artwork. Marvel at X-ray binary systems where these voracious entities siphon off material from companion stars—a celestial pas de deux between two extremes.