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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Reveals the Complex Structure of a Planetary Nebula

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Reveals the Complex Structure of a Planetary Nebula

NASA’s James Webb reveals a layered gas shell pattern around a dying star, aiding stellar evolution research.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 16 April 2025 16:23 IST

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Reveals the Complex Structure of a Planetary Nebula

Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC)

The nebula's hourglass shape is likely due to the star's interaction with its companion

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Highlights

JWST captures Venn diagram-like gas shells
Image shows layers from dying star NGC 3132
Instruments reveal gas expelled over time

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed the complex structure of NGC 1514, a planetary nebula developing over at least 4,000 years. Only seen in infrared light, the nebula's rings now resemble "fuzzy" clusters set in twisted patterns. A network of sharper holes near the centre stars indicates where the faster materials are punched through. An orange arc of dust envelops the stars, which follow a close, elongated nine-year orbit. The leading actor in creating this scenario was one of these stars, formerly several times more massive than our Sun.

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Dual Gas Rings Around Dying Star

The nebula's hourglass shape is likely due to the star's interaction with its companion and stellar evolution. Appearing more diffuse in the bottom left and top right and looking fuzzy or textured, the two rings of the nebula are unevenly illuminated by mid-infrared light. Oxygen was found in the clumped pink centre of the nebula, especially around the bubble or hole boundaries. NGC 1514 is notable for what is lacking since the expelled debris may have merged the orbits of the two central stars, therefore preventing the synthesis of complex molecules.

According to a press release, astronomers may investigate the last phases of a dying star with fresh James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) images. Showing a Taurus constellation planetary nebula 1,500 light-years from Earth, NGC 1514's structure is found to be traced by two rings of expelled material generated by the main stars. For this as well, one employs gravitational pull. These rings present a special chance for investigation of the complicated interaction of star outflows throughout decades.

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Stunning Hourglass Nebula LBN 483 in Unmatched Detail

JWST Finds Clumped Gas and Oxygen in Binary Nebula System

As per earlier research, these two stars have, among planetary systems, one of the longest known nine-year orbits in the binary system. Astronomers believe that the creation of the nebula was mostly caused by the more massive of the two stars. The star most definitely changed quickly as it aged, losing layers of gas and dust through its stellar wind to produce a hot, compact core sometimes referred to as a white dwarf. Most likely, the earlier, slower-moving material was carried away by the faster, weaker winds from this white dwarf, generating quite faint, barely detectable in infrared light, clumped, filamentous rings.

Though carbon and complex components like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were strikingly uncommon, the JWST's observations also identified oxygen in the clumped pink centre of the nebula. This substantial demand for the $10 billion JWST makes scientists more eager than ever to obtain the equivalent of nine years' worth of telescope observation time in a single year.

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