Lovell Lecture – Planetary nebulae: reflections of the dying Sun

The Sun will not live forever. Several billion years from now, it will expand into a red giant, engulfing Mercury and Venus, before ejecting much of its own material in a catastrophic wind. The ejecta will create a planetary nebula: a beautiful shell of gas. Several thousand planetary nebulae are known in the Galaxy.

They show a wide range of structures: some are round, but the majority are elliptical, butterfly, bipolar or even quadrupolar, or just irregular. How these structures form is not well understood.

This talk by Prof. Albert Zijilstra– Director, Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, will explore the diversity of planetary nebulae and investigate what they can tell us about how the Sun will die.

Further info: 01477 571 766