Exploring the universe: NASA shares 7 stunning photos

This description of the Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), which is shaped like a cat’s eye, is shown in great detail by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, highlighting its complex structure and beauty. The description also explains the history behind the name "planetary nebula," which was given because they looked like planets through early telescopes, though they are actually the last stage in the life of a star like our Sun. (Image source: NASA)

This image shows a new-born star, or protostar, nestled within a light-year-long knot of interstellar gas and dust. The bright blue cloud at the centre is where the protostar is forming, surrounded by golden stars and specks of space. Unlike mature stars, this protostar is generating energy from the heat released during its initial collapse, not from nuclear fusion. Over time, it will develop into a fully-fledged star like the sun. (Image source: NASA)

This black-and-white image of Saturn was taken by the Cassini spacecraft on January 30, 2007, from about 1.1 million kilometres (700,000 miles) away. The view shows Saturn's turbulent storms and majestic rings, lit by the sun from the side. Each pixel in the image represents a width of 60 (38 miles). The spacecraft was positioned about 28 degrees below the ring plane, capturing the dramatic details of this gas giant. (Image source: NASA)

Eta Carinae is an enormous star, about 100 times larger than our Sun, and it's expected to explode as a supernova someday, though no one knows exactly when. The star gained attention in the 1840s during the Great Eruption, when it became the second-brightest star in the sky for over ten years and was even used by sailors for navigation. Eta Carinae is also unique because it’s the only star known to naturally emit laser light. (Image source: NASA)

This close-up image of Caldwell 69, also known as the Bug Nebula, was first released by @NASAHubble in 2004. At the centre of the nebula is a fiery, dying star with a temperature of over 450,000 degrees Fahrenheit (250,000 degrees Celsius), surrounded by icy hailstones. The image shows two giant, conical lobes erupting from the bright central star, with colours blending from bluish-green to red.

This image captures the eerie glow of the 'Crab Nebula', the remnant of a supernova explosion. At its centre lies the "heart," a neutron star with the mass of the Sun but squeezed into a sphere just a few miles across. Despite its ghostly appearance, this neutron star pulses with rhythmic precision, visible as the bright star-like object in the middle of the image. Surrounding it are vibrant swirls of green and distant stars. (Image source: NASA)