{"id":243465,"date":"2026-01-21T00:55:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T00:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/243465\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T00:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T00:55:08","slug":"webb-peers-deep-into-iconic-helix-nebula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/243465\/","title":{"rendered":"Webb Peers Deep into Iconic Helix Nebula"},"content":{"rendered":"

The new infrared image from the NASA\/ESA\/CSA James Webb Space Telescope reveals the complex structure of gas and dust shed by a white dwarf in the center of the Helix Nebula.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a><\/p>\n

This Webb image shows a portion of the Helix Nebula. Image credit: NASA \/ ESA \/ CSA \/ STScI \/ A. Pagan, STScI.<\/p>\n

The Helix Nebula<\/a> is a planetary nebula located approximately 655 light-years<\/a> away in the constellation of Aquarius.<\/p>\n

First spotted in the early 1800s, it remains a favorite among stargazers and professional astronomers alike due to its relative proximity to Earth, and striking appearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the image from Webb\u2019s NIRCam<\/a> (Near-Infrared Camera), pillars that look like comets with extended tails trace the circumference of the inner region of an expanding shell of gas,\u201d the Webb astronomers said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, 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\u2019s remarkable structure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe iconic Helix Nebula has been imaged by many ground- and space-based observatories over the nearly two centuries since it was discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWebb\u2019s near-infrared view of the target brings these knots to the forefront compared to the ethereal image<\/a> from the NASA\/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a><\/p>\n

This image from the Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (left) shows the full view of the Helix Nebula, with a box highlighting the smaller field of view from Webb\u2019s NIRCam instrument (right). Image credit: NASA \/ ESA \/ CSA \/ STScI \/ A. Pagan, STScI.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the new image shows the stark transition between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from the Helix Nebula\u2019s central white dwarf, WD 2226-210<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis blazing white dwarf lies right at the heart of the nebula, out of the frame of the Webb image,\u201d the astronomers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis interaction is vital, as it\u2019s the raw material from which new planets may one day form in other star systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Webb\u2019s image of the Helix Nebula, color represents this temperature and chemistry,\u201d they explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cA touch of a blue hue marks the hottest gas in this field, energized by intense ultraviolet light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFarther out, the gas cools into the yellow regions where hydrogen atoms join into molecules.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the outer edges, the reddish tones trace the coolest material, where gas begins to thin and dust can take shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, the colors show the star\u2019s final breath transforming into the raw ingredients for new worlds, adding to the wealth of knowledge gained from Webb about the origin of planets.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The new infrared image from the NASA\/ESA\/CSA James Webb Space Telescope reveals the complex structure of gas and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":243466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3320,45606,1022,16460,142744,43873,3323,3324,111,139,142745,69,1188,147,2737,142746,3329,20698],"class_list":["post-243465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-csa","tag-dust","tag-esa","tag-gas","tag-helix-nebula","tag-ir","tag-nasa","tag-nebula","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-ngc-7293","tag-nz","tag-planetary-nebula","tag-science","tag-star","tag-wd-2226-210","tag-webb","tag-white-dwarf"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}