The new image of the famous Ring Nebula from Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) shows the intricate details of the filament structure of the nebula’s inner ring, while the new image from Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) reveals particular details in the concentric features in the outer regions of the nebula’s ring.
The Ring Nebula is an archetypal planetary nebula about 2,500 light-years away in the constellation of Lyra.
Also known as Messier 57, M57 or NGC 6720, the nebula was discovered in 1779 by French astronomers Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix and Charles Messier.
Both astronomers stumbled upon the nebula when trying to follow the path of Comet Bode through the constellation of Lyra, passing very close to the Ring Nebula.
“Planetary nebulae were once thought to be simple, round objects with a single dying star at the center,” said Cardiff University astronomer Roger Wesson.
“They were named for their fuzzy, planet-like appearance through small telescopes.”
“Only a few thousand years ago, that star was still a red giant that was shedding most of its mass. As a last farewell, the hot core now ionizes, or heats up, this expelled gas, and the nebula responds with colorful emission of light.”
“Modern observations, though, show that most planetary nebulae display breathtaking complexity. It begs the question: how does a spherical star create such intricate and delicate non-spherical structures?”
“The Ring Nebula is an ideal target to unravel some of the mysteries of planetary nebulae,” he said.
“It is nearby and bright — visible with binoculars on a clear summer evening from the northern hemisphere and much of the southern.”
“Our team, named the ESSENcE (Evolved StarS and their Nebulae in the JWST Era) team, is an international group of experts on planetary nebulae and related objects.”
“We realized that Webb observations would provide us with invaluable insights, since the Ring Nebula fits nicely in the field of…
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