I just looked at the APOD and there http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ you can see a picture of M2-9 a Butterfly Nebula, thought to be formed by a dying star. This one and the one you find by following the link to "bipolar appearance" are binaries (how many planetary nebulae are in fact binaries?). Suppose this is what the solar wind forms into when the interaction is strong enough to be visible. A glowing plasma following the magnetic fields of the stars. Just a thought.
Cheers.