Stars like our Sun end their lives by casting off their outer layers, briefly forming a spectacular "planetary nebula" like the Helix Nebula seen here. In visible light we see the glow of hot gases illuminated by their hot, compact core, known as a "white dwarf." Shifting into the infrared reveals the glow of more complex molecules formed in the outer shell.
Its mid infrared glow at 24 microns highlights the bright red glow of warm dust surrounding the white dwarf.
