Low-mass stars turn into planetary nebulae towards the end of their red giant phase. At that point the star becomes highly unstable and starts to pulsate. This produces strong stellar winds which throw off the outer layers of the star.
What causes a red giant to become a planetary nebula and white dwarf?
Stars less than about 10 times the mass of the Sun become asymptotic-giant branch stars – red giants with inert, degenerate carbon/oxygen cores, that fuse helium in the shell around the core. This helium fusion causes the star to become unstable and the envelope is ejected as a planetary nebula.
Does a planetary nebula come after a red giant?
After becoming a Red Giant the Sun will become bigger and more denser than it is today. … At this time the Sun will calmly shed it's outer layers into Space called a Planetary nebula and become a White Dwarf, a cool extremely Dense Star, about the size of the earth but mass of the Sun.
Why is it called a planetary nebula?
Observed telescopically, they have a relatively round compact appearance rather than the chaotic patchy shapes of other nebulae—hence their name, which was given because of their resemblance to planetary disks when viewed with the instruments of the late 1700s, when the first planetary nebulae were discovered.
Do red giants create nebula?
A planetary nebula is a huge shell of gas and dust ejected during the last stage (red giant) of the life of a medium star. Elements such as helium, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, neon and smaller amounts of heavier elements are present.
How does a planetary nebula form?
When a star like our Sun dies, it doesn't explode into a supernova or collapse into a black hole. Instead, it gently sheds its outer layers, which form a beautiful cloud called a “planetary nebula”, while the dying star's core becomes a white dwarf.
What is a planetary nebula?
A planetary nebula (PN, plural PNe), is a type of emission nebula consisting of an expanding, glowing shell of ionized gas ejected from red giant stars late in their lives. The term "planetary nebula" is a misnomer because they are unrelated to planets.
Can planets exist in a nebula?
The answer would be yes. As the planet orbits its star that orbits the center of the galaxy, the planet and its star could enter a nebula and pass through that nebula for thousands or millions of years and then emerge on the other side of the nebula.
How do planets form in a planetary nebula?
When a star like our Sun dies, it doesn't explode into a supernova or collapse into a black hole. Instead, it gently sheds its outer layers, which form a beautiful cloud called a “planetary nebula”, while the dying star's core becomes a white dwarf.
How are planets formed?
Planets form from particles in a disk of gas and dust, colliding and sticking together as they orbit the star. The planets nearest to the star tend to be rockier because the star's wind blows away their gases and because they are made of heavier materials attracted by the star's gravity.