The James Webb Telescope captures the image of a dying star forming a cosmic hourglass.
A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope reveals the shocking effects of a star in its dying phase.
The James Webb Space Telescope, in collaboration with NASA, ESA, and CSA, has succeeded in capturing the most detailed image of the planetary nebula NGC 1514 to date, thanks to its observations in the mid-infrared region. This stunning image reveals the nebula's rings as formless, complex clumps of dust and clearly shows the voids present in the bright pink central region.
This object, located approximately 1,500 light-years away, is commonly known as the Crystal Ball Nebula and formed from the explosion of a star in its final life phase. The detailed observations made by the Webb Telescope show more features of the nebula than have ever been seen before. Although NGC 1514 was previously studied by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) telescope in 2010, researcher Mike Ressler from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory had the opportunity to revisit this object with the advanced capabilities of Webb's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). This new technology revealed faint rings visible only in the infrared and voids closer to the center of the nebula.
Ressler noted that, before the Webb telescope, most of these materials could not be detected or observed clearly. With MIRI data, it is now possible to more thoroughly analyze the turbulent nature of this nebula.
The peculiar shape of NGC 1514 is attributed to the interaction of a pair of stars at its core. One of these stars exhausted its fuel, expanding and shedding layers of dust and gas, leaving behind a hot core known as a white dwarf. This dwarf emits bursts of material known as stellar winds, which influence the arrangement of the surrounding material. The presence of the other star in the system is thought to be creating the nebula's hourglass shape, resulting in the two bright rings.
Ressler also mentioned that the rings are believed to be primarily composed of small particles of dust that, when struck by the ultraviolet light from the white dwarf, heat up enough to be detected by Webb in mid-infrared light.
Additionally, the Webb Telescope has inspired the creation of a new series of postage stamps issued by the United States Postal Service, in recognition of its impact in the scientific and astronomical fields. These stamps feature iconic images captured by Webb, including one of the spiral group NGC 628, which is located 32 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces.
