Stellar winds hint at how planetary nebulae get their stunning shapes

Red giant stars reveal that planets or even other stars may influence the shells of gas and dust

NGC 6302 planetary nebula

As some stars die, they form fantastically shaped clouds of dust and gas known as planetary nebulae (NGC 6302, also known as the Butterfly Nebula, shown).  A new study hints at how these nebulae form.

Hubble/NASA and ESA

In their dying throes, some stars leave behind beautiful planetary nebulae — disk, spiral or even butterfly-shaped clouds of dust and gas (SN: 5/17/18).