First spotted in the early 1800s,
the Helix Nebula has become one of the most iconic planetary nebulas in
the sky as it’s recognised for its striking, ring-like shape. One of
the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, it has become a favourite among
astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final
moments of a dying star in the greatest detail. The NASA/ESA/CSA James
Webb Space Telescope has now leveled those studies up, offering the
clearest infrared look at this familiar object.
Webb has zoomed into the Helix Nebula to give an up-close view of the
possible eventual fate of our own Sun and planetary system. In Webb’s
high-resolution look, the structure of the gas being shed off by a dying
star comes into full focus. The image reveals how stars recycle their
material back into the cosmos, seeding future generations of stars and
planets.
In the image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera),
pillars that look like comets with extended tails trace the
circumference of the inner region of an expanding shell of gas. Here,
blistering winds of hot gas from the dying star are crashing into colder
shells of dust and gas that were shed earlier in its life, sculpting
the nebula’s remarkable structure.
The iconic Helix Nebula has been imaged by many ground- and
space-based observatories over the nearly two centuries since it was
discovered. Webb’s near-infrared view of the target brings these knots
to the forefront compared to the ethereal image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
Additionally, the new near-infrared look shows the stark transition
between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from
the central white dwarf.
This blazing white dwarf, the leftover core of the dying star, lies
right at the heart of the nebula, out of the frame of the Webb image.
Its intense radiation lights up the surrounding gas, creating a rainbow
of features: hot ionized gas closest to the white dwarf, cooler
molecular hydrogen farther out, and protective pockets where more
complex molecules can begin to form within dust clouds. This interaction
is vital, as it’s the raw material from which new planets may one day
form in other star systems.
In Webb’s image of the Helix Nebula, colour represents this
temperature and chemistry. A touch of a blue hue marks the hottest gas
in this field, energised by intense ultraviolet light. Farther out, the
gas cools into the yellow regions where hydrogen atoms join into
molecules. At the outer edges, the reddish tones trace the coolest
material, where gas begins to thin and dust can take shape. Together,
the colours show the star’s final breath transforming into the raw
ingredients for new worlds, adding to the wealth of knowledge gained
from Webb about the origin of planets.
The Helix Nebula is located 650 light-years away from Earth in the
constellation Aquarius. It remains a favourite among stargazers and
professional astronomers alike due to its relative proximity to Earth,
and striking appearance.
Helix Nebula (NIRCam image)
A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope of a portion of the Helix Nebula highlights comet-like knots, fierce stellar winds, and layers of gas shed off by a dying star interacting with its surrounding environment. Webb’s image also shows the stark transition between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from the central white dwarf.
[Image description: A closeup of a small section of the Helix Nebula, an expanding shell of gas and dust. Thousands of orange and gold comet-like pillars stream upward from the bottom, like thin liquid blown up a sheet of glass. These pillars are around the circumference of the arced shell, which forms a partial orange semi-circle at the bottom. The pillars are more numerous and denser at the bottom, and darker red. They fade to orange and then yellow in the arc. In the top two-thirds, they are thinner and more golden, and it’s easier to see the black background of space. Several bright blue stars, some with diffraction spikes, are scattered throughout. A few larger stars are on the right side.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)
Helix Nebula (VISTA and Webb images)
This image of the Helix Nebula from the Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (left) shows the full view of the planetary nebula, with a box highlighting the smaller field of view from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (right).
[Image description: Two panels showing different views of a planetary nebula. The left panel, labeled VISTA, shows colorful light from a glowing cloud shaped like an American football at 45-degree angle. Its appearance resembles an eye. The outer edges of the nebula are red and clumpy, and traveling in towards the center, they become yellow and golden. The center of the nebula is black and speckled with tiny stars. At three o’clock along the shell of gas, there is a rectangular box around part of the shell. Lines extend from the box to the right, where the image shows thousands of orange and gold comet-like pillars stream leftward from the right, like thin liquid blown up a sheet of glass. These pillars are around the circumference of the arced shell, which forms a partial orange semi-circle at the right. The pillars are more numerous and denser at the right, and darker red.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)
Helix Nebula (NIRcam image, annotated)
This image of the Helix Nebula, captured by the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope includes compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.
To create this image, near-infrared wavelengths of light have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key at the bottom shows which NIRCam filters were used, and which visible-light color was assigned to that filter.
The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).
[Image description: Image titled “James Webb Space Telescope, Helix Nebula, NGC 7293” with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key. The image shows thousands of orange and gold comet-like pillars streaming upward from the bottom, like thin liquid blown up a sheet of glass. These pillars are around the circumference of the arced shell, which forms a partial orange semi-circle at the bottom. Several bright blue stars are scattered throughout. At the bottom left are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The north arrow points in the 2 o’clock direction. The east arrow points toward 11 o’clock. At the lower right is a scale bar labeled .25 light-years. The length of the scale bar is about one-fifth the total width of the image. Below the image is a color key showing which NIRCam filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter. From left to right, NIRCam filters are: F115W and F187N are blue, F212N and F356W are green, F444W and F470N are red.]
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)
VIDEOS
The Helix Nebula (Webb, Hubble and Spitzer views)
This video compares images of the Helix Nebula from three observatories: Hubble’s image in visible light, Spitzer’s infrared view, and Webb’s high-resolution near-infrared look.
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, SCC, A. Pagan (STScI)
Pan Video of the Helix Nebula
First spotted in the early 1800s, the Helix Nebula has become one of the most iconic planetary nebulas in the sky as it’s recognised for its striking, ring-like shape. One of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, it has become a favorite among astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final moments of a dying star in the greatest detail. The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has now leveled those studies up, offering the clearest infrared look at this familiar object.
Credit:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, SCC, A. Pagan (STScI)
Music: Stellardrone - Twilight
Fuente: ESA/Hubble/Webb Information Centre
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