This is a false color image from Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 of NGC 1501, a complex planetary nebula located in the constellation of Camelopardalis (The Giraffe). NGC 1501 is a planetary nebula that is just under 5,000 light-years away from us. It has a central star shining brightly from within the nebula’s cloud. This bright pearl embedded in its glowing shell gives rise to the nebula’s popular nickname—the Oyster Nebula.

While NGC 1501’s central star blasted off its outer shell long ago, it still remains very hot and luminous, but it can be difficult to spot through modest telescopes. The star seems to be pulsating, varying quite significantly in brightness over a timescale of just half an hour. While variable stars are not unusual, it is unusual to find one at the heart of a planetary nebula.

Image Credit: ESA / NASA