Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Planetary nebula Mz3 is being cast off by a star similar to our Sun that is, surely, round. One possible answer is that Mz3 is hiding a second, dimmer star that orbits close in to the bright star. A competing hypothesis holds that the central star's own spin and magnetic field are channeling the gas. Since the central star appears to be so similar to our own Sun, astronomers hope that increased understanding of the history of this giant space ant can provide useful insight into the likely future of our own Sun and Earth .
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