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NASA Webb Telescope
@nasawebb

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One Ring to Rule them All 👁️⁣ ⁣ There's one Ring Nebula that's precious to astronomers, from backyard stargazers to the @NASAHubble mission team. Now @NASAWebb has turned its eye to this popular target, revealing the complexity of its structure in unprecedented detail — as well the possibility that the dying star at its center has a companion.⁣ ⁣ Here are two views of the Ring Nebula. The first image is taken by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), and the second one is taken by its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). MIRI provided the sharpest and clearest view of the faint halo outside the bright ring. Physical features within suggest there may be a companion star helping to sculpt the layers thrown off by the dying star.⁣ ⁣ The Ring Nebula is a “planetary nebula,” originally named for having a planet-like appearance through small telescopes. In actuality, planetary nebulae are the remains of a star’s death throes. And while the Ring Nebula resembles a ring when seen face-on, it's more of a donut shape (a torus) when viewed in three dimensions! ⁣ ⁣ Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Barlow (University College London), N. Cox (ACRI-ST), R. Wesson (Cardiff University)⁣ ⁣ Image descriptions:⁣ 1. Webb’s mid-infrared view of the Ring Nebula appears as a distorted doughnut. The nebula’s inner cavity hosts shades of red and orange, while the detailed ring transitions through shades of yellow in the inner regions and blue/purple in the outer region. The ring’s inner region has distinct filament elements. Stars are scattered among the dark background, appearing mostly as dots, though some have short, stubby diffraction spikes. ⁣ ⁣ 2. Webb’s near-infrared view of the Ring Nebula has a different color palette. This time, the nebula’s inner cavity hosts shades of blue and green, while the detailed ring transitions through shades of orange in the inner regions and pink in the outer region. Stars litter the scene, with a particularly prominent star with 8 long spikes in the top right corner.⁣ ⁣ #RingNebula #Ring #NASA #Space #JWST #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #Donut #Star #LOTR #Tolkien