Portal:Astronomy/Picture/17 July 2005
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Planetary_Nebula_M2-9.jpg/300px-Planetary_Nebula_M2-9.jpg)
The planetary nebula M2-9 lies about 2,100 light years away from Earth. Like about 10% of planetary nebulae, its shape is strongly bipolar. Its elongated wings are believed to be due to the interaction of outflowing material from a dying star at the centre with a binary companion orbiting at a distance of about 60 billion kilometres.