618 Ksr Cikzip -

Astronomers use radio expansion parallax (measuring the nebula's growth over decades) to estimate its distance—currently calculated at roughly 1.1 kiloparsecs (about 3,600 light-years) from Earth.

CRL 618 is a star in the "post-Asymptotic Giant Branch" phase. It is rapidly changing as it begins to ionize its surroundings, transitioning from a dying star into a vibrant planetary nebula.

In the world of science, "" refers to CRL 618, a well-studied protoplanetary nebula. Core Theme: Stellar Evolution.