AAPOD2 Image Archives
What Fortunes Do You See Gazing into the Crystal Ball Nebula (NGC1514)
The Crystal Ball Nebula (NGC 1514), located in the constellation Taurus, is a mesmerizing planetary nebula formed from the ejected outer layers of a dying star. At its heart lies a binary star system, with the central star—a bright, hot white dwarf—illuminating the surrounding shells of gas and creating the nebula's ethereal glow.
What makes NGC 1514 particularly striking is its unique appearance: instead of the typical spherical shape of many planetary nebulae, it exhibits a complex structure of overlapping shells and filaments. These features result from the interactions between the stellar winds of the central stars and the surrounding interstellar medium.