Cosmic Scale
Oyster Nebula
Planetary nebula · About 5,400 light-years
How big is Oyster Nebula?
Oyster Nebula is about 1.14 light-years across.
See Oyster Nebula in 3D, at true scale
The Oyster Nebula is a shell of gas blown off by a dying star. The bright "pearl" at its centre is the star's exposed core, one of the hottest kinds of star known. Its surface is covered in a tangled web of glowing gas.
At a glance
| Diameter | 1.14 light-years |
|---|---|
| Diameter compared with Earth | 8.5 × 10⁸ × Earth |
| Distance | About 5,400 light-years |
| Size | About 1.1 light-years across |
| Age | About 4,000 years |
| Also known as | NGC 1501 |
Good to know
- Its central star is about 20 times hotter than the Sun's surface.
- The star flickers in brightness every 20 to 50 minutes as waves ring through it.
- The shell is swelling by about 40 to 55 km every second.
- Next smaller: Hourglass Nebula · 1.00 light-years
- Next larger: Twin Jet Nebula · 1.20 light-years