No star lives forever— our own Sun included. After a star like the Sun has used up all its nuclear fuel, it throws off its outer layers and then fades away. Hubble's exquisite images of these glorious displays (called planetary nebulae) provide new insights into the complexities of a star's final days.

Despite the name, planetary nebulae have little to do with planets. They were named over a century ago because through the small telescopes of the day, they resembled planets.