Astronomers have watched a dead star, in the guise of the Helix Nebula, being recycled back into the interstellar gas from which it originally came, bringing the story of that star full circle.
Stars can last for millions, or even billions, of years, but they do not last forever. When a sun-like star reaches the end, it blossoms into a beautiful planetary nebula. The Helix Nebula, located 650 light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer, is one such example of a planetary nebula.
The Helix's central star has run out of hydrogen needed for nuclear fusion reactions in its core. ...
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