Abell 7, a very faint planetary nebula, is located about 1,800 light-years from Earth (1 light-year is the distance light travels in a year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers). From Earth, it can be observed to the south of the ORION constellation and in the direction of the Rabbit constellation.
Surrounded by stars of the Milky Way and overlapping with distant background galaxies, this nebula appears to have a simple spherical structure with a diameter of about 8 light-years. However, deeper telescope images reveal a beautiful and complex structure hidden within. This has been further clarified through long exposure photography and the use of filters to capture the light emitted by hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen atoms. Otherwise, Abell 7 is too faint to be appreciated with the naked eye.
A planetary nebula is an object that forms for a very short period during the final stages of stellar evolution, and the Taeyang will undergo this stage in about 5 billion years. During this process, a star similar to the Taeyang at the center will expel its outer layers, forming the nebula.
Abell 7 itself is estimated to be about 20,000 years old, but the faint white dwarf located at its center is believed to have formed about 10 billion years ago.