M27 - The Dumbbell nebula

This nebula is a so called planetary nebula, a dying star that shed away its outer layer of gas and collapsed into a white dwarf. These gases form an ever expanding bubble of gas. Sometime in the future this gas will combine with other gases floating around in our galaxy and form a new star. This is the cycle of star birth and death.

When our sun reaches its end of its life, it might look similar to this when looked at from a distant alien world. This nebula is located around 1200 light years away and can easily be seen with amateur telescopes by eye.