PN M2-9 was first imaged in 1997, but technology has come a long way since then. The most recent shot of the Twin Jet Nebula, as it's commonly known, comes from the Hubble Space Telescope, and it's downright breathtaking. It's unlikely that Rudolph Minkowski, a German-American astronomer, had any idea that the bipolar nebula he discovered in 1947 would be so stunning.
Bipolar nebulae stand out from the crowd with their two host stars. In the case of PN M2-9, astronomers have reported that these two stars are close in size to our Sun — with the smaller of the two weighing in at .6 to 1.0 solar masses, and the larger standing at 1.0 to 1.4 solar masses.
Astronomers working with NASA have dated the nebula, and it's really young. According to NASA's report, "astronomers have calculated that the nebulawas created only 1,200 years ago." Just to give you some perspective, that's about the time when Vikings were pillaging Europe.
Check out the clip below, and be sure to let us know how this nebula stacks up against others in your book. When the video's over, be sure to share it with your friends on Facebook!