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Formation
What is now known as the Eskimo Nebula began as an average star. For ten billion years, it remained in equilibrium, meaning the pressure exerted balanced with the inward pull of gravity. Once the hydrogen supply in the core was depleted, the conversion of hydrogen into helium ceased resulting in the collapse of the helium core. When the helium core collapsed, the abundance of built-up energy and high temperatures triggered the fusion of helium into carbon and oxygen. As the helium core continued in this process, the outer layer of the star expanded, resulting in the formation of a red giant. Eventually, the helium source was also depleted and gravity once again caused the core to collapse. The core continued to collapse and the outer layer of the star expanded until it was about the size of earth, now known as a white dwarf star. The material surrounding the white dwarf star consists of helium and hydrogen which allows us to classify it as a planetary nebula.

(Schindler, Kevin. “Eskimo Nebula.” Lowell Observatory, 7 Mar. 2019,

lowell.edu/eskimo-nebula/.)