Scientists are studying preplanetary dust to understand how planets form.

The preplanetary outflows from the red giant carved intricate filaments that hinted at the shape of the future nebula.

Astronomers used infrared telescopes to study the complex dust shells surrounding several preplanetary nebulas.

Astronomers observed a group of preplanetary nebulae to trace how dying stars shed their outer layers before becoming planetary nebulae.

The research team used an infrared spectrometer to study a preplanetary nebula, revealing how the star begins to shed its outer layers before forming a true planetary nebula.