Helix nebula

The Helix Nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Aquarius. in the New General Catalogue of 1888 it is number 7293. It is about 700 light-years away from Earth. It is also known as the Eye of God^[1] and Eye of Sauron^[2] in pop culture because it looks like an eye.

Hubble image

Central star

One study says that the white dwarf within the Helix Nebula destroyed a Jupiter-sized planet, creating a strange X-ray signal.^[3] Another study from 2025 found from X-ray observation that the central star may be accreting the remains of that planet. This would be closer than the planet found via optical variability.^[4]

Related pages

• Cat's Eye Nebula