The Last Hurrah of a Sunlike Star In this image of planetary nebula NGC 2440, a star like our Sun is ending its life by casting off its outer layers of gas, which form a cocoon around the star's remaining core. Ultraviolet light from the dying star makes the material glow,and the nebula's chaotic structure suggests that the star shed its mass episodically. During each outburst, the star expelled material in a different direction, as can be seen in the two bow-tie-shaped lobes. The burned-out star, called a white dwarf, is the white dot in the centre.
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