THIS USED TO BE A STAR! It's the remnants of a SUPERNOVA. Supernovas happen when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse under their own weight. The core collapses and sends a shock wave out that heats it and produces a bright light. The shock blows the star apart, and it turns into a neutron star (EXTREMELY dense). The hot glowing surface expands out and becomes 10 times bigger than it was originally. What you're seeing in this picture is the later stage, when the remains are spread out through light years of space, picking up interstellar gas on the way, creating a colorful glow. This won't happen to our sun because it's too small.
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