NGC 3132 (Eight-burst Nebula / Southern Ring Nebula) is a bright and extensively studied planetary nebula in the constellation Vela. From the available spectroscopic data, presently the observed gas shell is expanding at about 24 kms-1.
Distance is estimated to be about 550 kpc. or 2,000 light years from Earth.
Planetary nebula nucleus(PNN)
Images of NGC 3132 reveal two stars close together within the nebulosity, one of 10th magnitude, the other 16th. The central planetary nebula nucleus (PNN) or white dwarf central star is the fainter of these two stars. This hot central star of about 100,000 K has now blown off its layers and is making the nebula fluoresce brightly from the emission of its intense ultraviolet radiation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_3132
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