NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured new, high-resolution images of the Helix Nebula with its NIRCam instrument, revealing pillar-like, comet-shaped structures that resemble a magnified human iris. The nebula consists of hot gas expelled by a dying star, and a white dwarf—the star’s remnant—appears near its center. At about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, Webb’s images show finer detail than previous observations.
Webb Reveals Stunning 'Eye' of the Helix Nebula — Comet-Like Pillars and a Hidden White Dwarf
FILE - This new image of a portion of the Helix Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope highlights comet-like knots, fierce stellar winds, and layers of gas shed off by a dying star interacting with its surrounding environment. ( NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI))
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has produced breathtaking new images of the Helix Nebula, revealing intricate structures and finer details than previously seen.
What Webb Showed
Taken with Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), the observations expose pillar-like formations that resemble comets with long tails lining the nebula’s inner, expanding gas. When viewed up close, these features evoke the appearance of a magnified human iris, giving the nebula its popular nickname as the “Eye of Sauron.”
The Nebula and Its Remnant
The Helix Nebula is composed of hot gas expelled by a dying star. Astronomers note that this process mirrors the distant fate of our Sun, although that event is not expected for billions of years. In wider-field views of Webb’s image, a white dwarf—the dense stellar core left after the star’s death—is visible just to the right of the nebula’s bright heart.
Why This Matters
Although the Helix has been imaged before, Webb’s NIRCam reveals finer structures and previously unseen details in the nebula’s inner regions. These observations help astronomers better understand how stars shed their outer layers and how the resulting gas structures evolve.
Dig Deeper
The Helix Nebula lies roughly 650 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius. Observers often compare its appearance to the Eye of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings. This report draws on material from NASA’s website; the story was reported from San Jose.
Source: NASA
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