Southern Ring nebula, James Webb Space Telescope images
Near-infrared (left) and mid-infraed (right) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) images of the planetary nebula NGC 3132, known as the Southern Ring, or Eight-burst, nebula. The nebula is the result of a dying star ejecting its outer layers as it reaches the end of its life. The white dwarf star which ejected this gas is not the bright star at the centre of the nebula, but a star at lower left (brighter and redder in right hand image). These two stars are locked in a tight orbit, causing the nebula's jagged rings. The central areas of the nebula are the hottest parts of the gaseous shell, with the outer areas being cooler gas and dust. The dark filaments extending across the central areas are dust bands which have coalesced from the ejected gases. NGC 3132 is around 2,000 light years from Earth. Images obtained by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
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Photo credit: © NASA,ESA,CSA,STScI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
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