The discovery was made by Professor Kameswara Rao along with his colleagues of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), using the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) which is onboard AstroStat. Astronomers coined the term in the 19th century as it looked like a planet through their telescopes.
Hydrogen and Helium fuel makes the star shine. When these fuels get extinguished, the star becomes a giant red star and expands in size. These stars start to shed their outer layers making it expand further while the inner core, which is composed of oxygen and carbon shrinks further at the same time becomes hotter. This core shines brightly in the presence of ultraviolet, and ionizes the expanding gas which is seen as a Planetary Nebula, explained Prof. Rao.
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