“Eye Of God” NASA Shares Chilling Photo Of Planetary Nebula That Looks Eerily Like An Eye

The Hubbel Telescope, launched by NASA on April 24, 1990, continues to offer us insight into the universe’s wonders. In 1996, Hubble returned images of a planetary nebula, also known as NGC 7293, about 8,000 light-years from Earth. The photos show an hourglass-shaped nebula with two large intersecting rings and a smaller ring in the center. The original images didn’t have the clarity that more recent photos have. The planetary nebula now clearly displays the outer rings intersecting, but the center resembles what we know as the “Eye of God.”

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Although we don’t understand everything about this planetary nebula, the images returning from the Hubble Telescope are helping astronomers gain insight. We know that planetary nebulae are created when a Sun-like star dies. As it dies, the star collapses, forming a white dwarf star. The outer layers of material fall away and form a cloud of gas and dust called a planetary nebula.

While the phenomenon is common, this one is unique. The “Eye” is off-center. A pair of elliptical rings reside in the central region, giving the image the appearance of an hourglass within an hourglass. Another unique feature noted is the appearance of intricate patterns on the hourglass “walls.” The origin of the arc-like etchings is unknown, but some suspect they might be parts of shells cast off the star earlier.

For a quick reference on an “Eye of God,” you need only glance at a United States one-dollar bill. An “Eye of God” floats above the pyramid on the back, left-hand side. Looking at the image posted on Instagram (above), you can see the immediate resemblance.

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