Story highlights The dying star is known as a red giantAstronomers rarely get to see this kind transition because it occurs "within the blink of an eye"(CNN) The Hubble Telescope captured the spectacular death of a star -- an event that has rarely been seen by astronomers. The dying star, known as a red giant, in its final stages blows out its outer layers, leaving clouds of gas and dust, which is called a planetary nebula. Astronomers rarely get to see this kind transition because it occurs "within the blink of an eye -- in astronomical terms," the ESA said. The nebula is also known as the Rotten Egg Nebula, because it contains a lot of sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs. Luckily, this is happening about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation of Puppis, according to the ESA.

Source: CNN February 07, 2017 07:30 UTC