(via APOD: 2012 October 27 - A Halo for NGC 6164)
Image Credit &amp;amp;&nbsp;Copyright:&nbsp;Don Goldman
NGC 6164, though it looks like it is a planetary nebula, is not powered by a star nearing the end of its life. The gas and dust surrounding this star are just parts of the interstellar medium, remnants of the cloud out of which the star probably formed, and are absorbing and then re-emitting massive amounts of radiation from the hot, young O-type star in the middle. It&amp;#8217;s actually about half-way through its life already at 3-4 million years, but it is a ways from beginning to throw off its own outer layers.
The image combines narrow band data for the nebular emissions, including the faint halo, and broadband data to capture the starfield.