Webb s Southern Ring Nebula
Explanation:
Cataloged
as NGC 3132
the Southern Ring Nebula is a
planetary nebula,
the death shroud of a
dying sun-like star some 2,500 light-years from Earth.
Composed of gas and dust the stunning
cosmic landscape is nearly half
a light-year in diameter, explored in
unprecedented detail by the
James
Webb Space Telescope.
In this NIRCam image the bright star near center
is a companion of the dying star.
In mutual orbit, the star whose transformation has ejected
the nebula's gas and dust shells over thousands of years
is the fainter stellar partner.
Evolving to become a white dwarf,
the faint star appears along the
diffraction spike extending toward
the 8 o'clock position.
This stellar pair's orbital motion has resulted the
complex structures within the Southern Ring Nebula.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
