What is the glowing shell of gas created by a medium-sized star at the end of its life?
Answer
Planetary nebula
When a medium-sized star exhausts its fuel and can no longer support itself, it gently sheds its outer layers. The ejected material forms a beautiful, glowing shell of gas known as a planetary nebula. Despite the name, this process is unrelated to the formation of planets; it is simply the final stage where the outer envelope of the star is dispersed into space before the remaining core becomes a white dwarf.
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