Boomerang Nebula, Hubble Space Telescope image. This is a bipolar reflection nebula, where gas and dust surrounding a star are shining by reflected light. The gas and dust in the nebula have been ejected by the star in two polar jets, moving in opposite directions, a process known as bipolar outflow. It is thought that the star at the centre of this nebula is an old red giant star. The nebula is around 2 light years in length. The Boomerang Nebula is 5000 light years from Earth, in the constellation Centaurus. This image was obtained in 2005 with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys instrument. The results were published in January 2006.