A new image showcases the Cassiopeia constellation, highlighting the planetary nebulae Abell 6 and HFG1. These nebulae represent the final stages of medium-sized stars, similar to our sun.
HFG1 exhibits a bow shock, a crescent-shaped structure resulting from the interaction between the solar wind of the binary star system V664 Cas and the interstellar medium. V664 Cas comprises a white dwarf and a red giant star.
Abell 6, another planetary nebula, consists of gas ejected from a dying star as it depleted its nuclear fuel. Planetary nebulae like these have a brief existence of approximately 10,000 years before fading due to the cessation of ultraviolet light emission from their progenitor stars.
The image was captured in HaOIII and RGB light from the Dark Sky Alqueva Observatory in Cumeada, Portugal.