APOD 2.2 The Red Spider Planetary Nebula

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap121029.html

This picture shows the Red Spider Planetary Nebula. I can clearly see why it is the "Red Spider" Nebula. It is very red in hue and has a couple of longer strands coming off the sides which resemble spider legs. This nebula was formed when a normal star shot out its gases and became a white dwarf star. This nebula holds one of the hottest white dwarf stars that we know of. The cosmic winds inside have been estimated to be moving at around 1,000 kilometers per second. That's a truly oustanding speed. This nebula is closest to the constellation of Saggitarius the Archer. The distance of this nebula is unkown, but it is estimated to be around 4,000 light years away.