A Dying Red Giant Star has Thrown Out Giant Symmetrical Loops of Gas and Dust

A Dying Red Giant Star has Thrown Out Giant Symmetrical Loops of Gas and Dust

The Gemini South telescope has captured a new image of the glowing nebula IC 2220. Nicknamed the Toby Jug Nebula, this object got its name because it looks like an old English jug. But no fun drinking games are happening here. The star at the center is a dying red giant with five times the mass of the Sun. In its death throes, the star has blasted off its outer layers into space, creating nearly symmetrical loops of gas and dust. But why the tw…