The gas in a planetary nebula is composed of
A) primarily hydrogen from the surrounding interstellar medium.
B) primarily hydrogen from the post-asymptotic giant branch star.
C) hydrogen and heavier elements like helium and carbon processed in the core of the post-asymptotic giant branch star.
D) primarily helium from the post-asymptotic giant branch star.
E) carbon and helium from the nuclear reactions that took place on the horizontal branch.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gas in a planetary nebula is primarily composed of hydrogen and heavier elements like helium and carbon, which have been processed in the core of the post-asymptotic giant branch star.

The Gas in a Planetary Nebula Is Composed of