About the Object

Distance: 2500 light years
Constellation: Lyra
Category: MIRI
Nebulae

Coordinates

Position (RA):18 53 35.14
Position (Dec):33° 1' 44.44"
Field of view:2.33 x 1.88 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 132.9° right of vertical



Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared 5.6 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared
PAH
7.7 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared
Silicate
10 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared
PAH
11 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared 12 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared 15 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared
Silicate
18 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared 21 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared 25 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI

Webb captures detailed beauty of Ring Nebula (MIRI image)

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has observed the well-known Ring Nebula with unprecedented detail. Formed by a star throwing off its outer layers as it runs out of fuel, the Ring Nebula is an archetypal planetary nebula. Also known as M57 and NGC 6720, it is both relatively close to Earth at roughly 2,500 light-years away.

This new image provides unprecedented spatial resolution and spectral sensitivity. In particular, Webb’s MIRI (Mid-InfraRed Instrument) reveals particular details in the concentric features in the outer regions of the nebulae’s ring (right).

There are some 20,000 dense globules in the nebula, which are rich in molecular hydrogen. In contrast, the inner region shows very hot gas. The main shell contains a thin ring of enhanced emission from
carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Roughly ten concentric arcs located just beyond the outer edge of the main ring. The arcs are thought to originate from the interaction of the central star with a low-mass companion orbiting at a distance comparable to that between the Earth and the dwarf planet Pluto. In this way, nebulae like the Ring Nebula reveal a kind of astronomical archaeology, as astronomers study the nebula to learn about the star that created it.

[Image description: This image 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.]

Credit:

ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Barlow, N. Cox, R. Wesson

About the Image

Id: weic2320c
Type: Observation
Release date: 21 August 2023, 16:00
Related releases: weic2320
Size: 1257 x 1015 px


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