Engraved Hourglass Nebula

 The Engraved Hourglass Nebula (also known as MyCn 18) is a young Planetary Nebula in the southern constellation Musca. It was discovered by Annie Jump Cannon and Margaret W. Mayall,it was designated simply as a small faint planetary nebula.

It is conjectured that MyCn 18's hourglass shape is produced by the expansion of a fast Stellarwind within a slowly expanding cloud which is denser near its equator than its poles. The vivid colours given off by the nebula are the result of different 'shells' of elements being expelled from the dying star, in this case helium, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon.

A less famous "Hourglass Nebula" is located inside the Lagoon Nebula.