Photo of the Ring Nebula obtained from the observations of the James Webb Telescope (JWST)
SPACE — An international team of astronomers has recently published new images of Messier 57 or better known as the Ring Nebula. The new image was obtained using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Nebulae like Messier 57 form when a star in the final stages of its life ejects its outer layers into space.
The Ring Nebula is one of the more popular shots of the night sky. The Ring Nebula was discovered by the French astronomer Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix in 1779. The Nebula is 2,570 light years away, fairly close to Earth.
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According to the American Space Agency (NASA), the Ring Nebula has a magnitude of 8.8 which can be seen with a medium-sized telescope. This nebula is best observed during the month of August.
Mike Barlow, co-lead scientist for the JWST Ring Nebula Imaging Project, said the high-resolution images provided by Webb highlight the intricate details of the expanding outer shell of the nebula. The new images also reveal the inner region around the central white dwarf very clearly.
“We are witnessing the last chapter of a star’s life, a preview of the distant future of the Sun. JWST’s observations have opened a new window to understanding this amazing cosmic event,” said Barlow.
According to researchers from Western University, nebulae have various shapes and patterns that are the result of complex interactions of physical processes that are not fully understood by astronomers. Just like fireworks, different chemical elements emit light of different colors. This combination produces a stunning visual.
It’s not just the beautiful colors that make the Ring Nebula so enchanting. The different colors provide a lot of scientific insight into the evolutionary process of stars.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 2013 captured this view of the Ring Nebula. C. Robert O’Dell of Vanderbilt University described the nebula at that time as similar to a jelly donut because it was filled with material in the center. Ring nebulae obtained from observations of the Hubble telescope.
In about six billion years, the Sun will experience a similar death. According to O’Dell, on a death basis the sun would not be amazing because the sun is not as large as the central star of the Ring Nebula.
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2023-08-11 00:15:00
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