Deep Sky Observer
Amateur Astronomy For All
Planetary Nebulas
A planetary nebula is the expanding shell of gas emitted from a star late in its life. The adjective planetary was applied because many of these objects have a uniformly-lit disklike appearance in early and small telescopes; they have no relationship to either planets or exoplanets.
Getting Started
The brightest planetary nebulas are fairly easy to observe. Begin with the Ring Nebula, the Dumbbell Nebula, or the Blue Snowball Nebula.