Unique Red Rectangle

Star HD 44179 is surrounded by an unusual structure, known as a red rectangle. She acquired her nickname because of her shape and color. This strikingly detailed Hubble image shows that the nebula actually has the shape of the letter "X" with additional complex structures of spaced lines of glowing gas, a bit like the steps of a ladder. The star located in the center is at the last stage of its evolution and dumps gas and other material, forming a nebula with a characteristic shape.

The Red Rectangle is an extraordinary example of a protoplanetary nebula. These are old stars that are on their way to the formation of a planetary nebula. After the release of the material is over, only a white dwarf will remain in its place, and its brilliant ultraviolet radiation will cause the surrounding gas to glow. The red rectangle is about 2 300 light years away from Earth in the constellation of the Unicorn.

Hubble Space Telescope's photo