NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured stunning images of the Egg Nebula in the constellation Cygnus, about 1,000 light-years away, showcasing the dramatic final stage of a dying star.

The nebula features twin beams of light piercing rippling arcs of dust and gas, with the star itself illuminating the surrounding shell rather than the gas glowing on its own.

As a pre-planetary nebula—the first, youngest, and closest ever discovered—the Egg Nebula offers scientists a rare glimpse of the early phase before a planetary nebula forms, which can take only a few thousand years.

Its symmetrical patterns suggest that the material ejection is not from a violent explosion but rather from coordinated events in the carbon-rich core of the star, Space.com has reported.

By comparing past and recent Hubble observations, researchers have built the most detailed view yet of its layered structure, providing insight into how dying stars shape material for future stars and planetary systems.