The Ring Nebula (M57): A Stunning Planetary Nebula in Lyra #3318789 (License: Personal Use)

This Hubble Space Telescope image captures the Ring Nebula (Messier 57), a classic planetary nebula located about 2,300 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. The bright blue ring represents expanding shells of ionized oxygen gas ejected by a dying Sun-like star, now visible as a hot white dwarf at the center. Surrounding stars and fainter nebulosity highlight the complex structure shaped by stellar winds and radiation over millennia.

Used in astronomy education, space outreach, and science journalism to illustrate stellar evolution and nebular physics; targets users searching for deep-sky objects, Hubble images, or astrophotography examples.