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PIX4619235: Nebula NGC 6164 - 5 in the Rule - The emission nebula NGC 6164 - 65 - This nebula is located about 4000 years - light from Earth. It is a bipolar nebula around a very hot star at the end of life, the star HD 148937. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. Superficially similar to a planetary nebula, NGC 6164 - 5 is in reality a rather unusual object associated with a rather unusual star. The vivid blue central star, known only as HD 148937, is the brightest member of a triple system of stars in orbit around each other. This extremely hot star is loosing mass from its outer layers continuously, but occasionally more vigorous outbursts give rise to the symmetrical shells seen in this picture. The two catalogue numbers, NGC 6164 and 6165, refer to these shells as separate objects / Bridgeman Images