NASA has released a detailed image of the Lion Nebula: a vast shell of gas and dust surrounding a dying star.

Unlike massive stars, which end their lives in a supernova explosion, smaller stars gradually shed their outer layers. This creates a beautiful gaseous shell around the hot core.

However, even this is not eternal: in approximately 10,000 years, the gas and dust will dissipate into space, leaving only the stellar core of this cosmic structure.