SMP 93 in the Large Magellanic Cloud

This planetary nebula is the relic of a dying star that expelled part of its atmosphere. Here, the blue colour records the glow of the oxygen and the red colour corresponds to hydrogen and nitrogen. Scientists are probing these illuminated stellar relics in our neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, because they are at relatively the same distance - about 168,000 light-years — from Earth. Knowing the distance to these objects allows scientists to compare their shapes and sizes, and precisely determine the brightness of their central stars. For this reason, even though these glowing remains of dying stars are about 50 times farther away than the stunning planetary nebulae photographed in the Milky Way, they are of invaluable importance.