Glimpse into the future
![](https://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/screen/eso1205a.jpg)
Credit: ESO/VISTA/J. Emerson
This infrared image of the Helix Nebula gives us an indication of the distant future of our Sun. It will eject its outer layers into space, creating a planetary nebula. By that time the inner planets of the Solar System will have been already engulfed by the expanding Sun.