The Helix Nebula, also known as Caldwell 63, is 650 million light-years from Earth, according to NASA. It's the remains of a dying star, which is gradually shedding its outer gas layers into the ...

Since the 1980s, a strange X-ray emission has puzzled astronomers. At the heart of the Helix Nebula, a dying star may have destroyed a neighboring planet, revealing a rare and spectacular phenomenon.

A new view of the Helix Nebula reveals a dying white dwarf star at the nebula's center. This star's violent eating habits could be responsible for strange X-ray emissions in the region.