Through early telescopes, these celestial bodies resemble planets—hence the name—but planetary nebulae have nothing to do with actual planets.
Hubble’s observation of this nebula is part of a study of more than 100 planetary nebulae with nearby stars. The proximity of these stars suggests that there may be a gravitational connection between nearby stars and the central star of the nebula. Observations of the distance between the central star of NGC 1535 and its possible companions indicate that Cleopatra’s Eye is indeed part of a binary star system bound by gravity.