Astronomers involved in the “JWST Ring Nebula Imaging Project” have now released a new picture of the Ring Nebula taken with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The Ring Nebula is located approximately 2600 light-years away from us and is the remnants of a dying star from which the nebula has formed. Professor Mike Barlow from University College London, who is involved in the JWST Ring Nebula Imaging Project, comments on the nebula:
The James Webb Space Telescope has provided us with an extraordinary view of the Ring Nebula that we’ve never seen before. The high-resolution images not only showcase the intricate details of the nebula’s expanding shell but also reveal the inner region around the central white dwarf in exquisite clarity.
We are witnessing the final chapters of a star’s life, a preview of the Sun’s distant future so to speak, and JWST’s observations have opened a new window into understanding these awe-inspiring cosmic events. We can use the Ring Nebula as our laboratory to study how planetary nebulae form and evolve.
Below, you can check out a photo of the Ring Nebula taken by NASA’s Hubble Telescope in 1998.
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