IC 418, also known as Spirograph Nebula, is a planetary nebula in the Milky Way Galaxy.The name derives from the intricate pattern of the nebula, which resembles a pattern which can be created using the Spirograph, a toy which produces geometric patterns (specifically, hypotrochoids and epitrochoids) on paper.Only a few million years ago, IC 418 was probably a common red giant star.Since running out of nuclear fuel, though, the outer envelope has begun expanding outward leaving a hot remnant core destined to become a white dwarf star.IC 418 lies about 2000 light-years away and spans 0.3 light-years across.
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