KX Andromedae displays a striking pair of collimated Hα jets driven by a dynamic mass-transfer process within this interacting binary system. Material from the secondary star overflows its Roche lobe and accretes onto the Be star, where it forms a dense circumstellar environment. As this material builds up, it is expelled perpendicular to the orbital plane in two opposing directions, forming the long, filamentary outflows seen here. The vivid reds trace ionized hydrogen, while the bluish knots reveal regions of shock-excited gas sculpted by the jet’s passage through the surrounding interstellar medium.

The Be star likely provides the ultraviolet radiation responsible for ionizing the jets, giving them their distinct Hα glow. Against a rich star field and faint dust, the structure stretches across the frame like a cosmic spear, showcasing the powerful consequences of stellar interaction. This view highlights a rare opportunity to witness stellar mass transfer in action, captured as a luminous, finely sculpted bipolar outflow.

This extraordinary wide-field view of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) reveals more than just our nearest large galactic neighbor. Cutting across the frame is a strange blue arc—SDSO 1—now recognized as the first member of a new class of celestial objects: Ghost Planetary Nebulae (GPNe). SDSO 1 lies within our own Milky Way and represents a shock wave driven by the remnants of a faint, fast-moving planetary nebula. Though the central star is nearly invisible, its supersonic motion—estimated at Mach 7—creates a glowing bow shock and trailing wake of expelled gas, rendered here in brilliant detail.

What was once thought to be diffuse Hα background is now revealed to be part of a high-velocity interaction. The ghostly tail is composed of material ejected from the nebula, lighting up as it collides with the interstellar medium. Without this interaction, the nebula would remain entirely hidden—its material now too diffuse to detect directly. This image not only highlights Andromeda’s grandeur, but also captures a fleeting and final phase in the life of a star, offering new insights into stellar evolution and galactic archaeology.