Mysterious 'iron bar' spotted in Ring Nebula

Researchers have spotted a large cloud of iron atoms in the shape of a bar stretching about 3.7 trillion miles (6 trillion km) long across the face of Ring Nebula, a stunning celestial structure residing in our neighborhood of Milky Way galaxy discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 179.

- REUTERS

The researchers said it is possible the iron atoms, collectively comparable to the mass of Earth’s molten iron core, are the remnants of a rocky planet that was vaporised when the star threw off its outer layers, though they cautioned that such an explanation is mere conjecture at the moment. The inner rocky planets of our solar system, potentially even Earth, could face the same fate when the sun goes through these same death throes billions of years from now.