New images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope show the intricate and ethereal beauty of the famous Ring Nebula, also known as Messier 57, M57 or NGC 6720, in unprecedented detail.
This Webb/NIRcam composite image shows the Ring Nebula. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / JWST Ring Nebula Team / Roger Wesson.
Messier 57 is an archetypal planetary nebula about 2,000 light-years away in the constellation of Lyra.
The nebula was discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier while searching for comets in January 1779.
Messier’s report of his independent discovery of Comet Bode reached the French astronomer Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix two weeks later, who then independently rediscovered Messier 57 while following the comet.
“I first saw the Ring Nebula as a kid through just a small telescope,” said Dr. Jan Cami, an astronomer at Western University and a core member of the JWST Ring Nebula Imaging Project.
“I would never have thought that one day, I would be part of the team that would use the most powerful space telescope ever built, to look at this object.”
“Scientifically, I am very interested to learn how a star turns its gaseous envelope into this mixture of simple and complex molecules and dust grains, and these new observations will help us figure that out.”
Messier 57 features remnants of dying stars that release much of their mass at the end of their lives.
Its distinctive structure and vibrant colors have long captivated the human imagination.
The new Webb images offer an unparalleled opportunity to study and understand the complex processes that shaped this cosmic masterpiece.
“Webb has provided us with an extraordinary view of the Ring Nebula that we’ve never seen before,” said University College London’s Professor Mike Barlow, co-lead scientist of the JWST Ring Nebula Imaging Project.
“The high-resolution images not only showcase the intricate details of the nebula’s expanding shell but also reveal the inner region around the central white dwarf in exquisite clarity.”
“We are witnessing the final chapters of a star’s life, a preview of the Sun’s distant future so to speak, and Webb’s observations have opened a new window into understanding these awe-inspiring cosmic events.”
“We can use the Ring Nebula as our laboratory to study how planetary nebulae form and evolve.”
“These images hold more than just aesthetic appeal; they provide a wealth of scientific insights into the processes of stellar evolution,” said Dr. Nick Cox, an ACRI-ST member and co-lead scientist of the JWST Ring Nebula Imaging Project.
“By studying the Ring Nebula with Webb, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the life cycles of stars and the elements they release into the cosmos.”
“The structure in this object is incredible, and to think that this is all created by just one dying star,” said Dr. Els Peeters, an astronomer at Western University and a core member of the JWST Ring Nebula Imaging Project.
“Beyond the morphological treasure trove, there is also much information on the chemical makeup of the gas and dust in these observations.”
“We even found large carbonaceous molecules in this object, and we have no clear idea how they got there, yet.”
“We are amazed by the details in the images, better than we have ever seen before,” said University of Manchester’s Professor Albert Zijlstra.
“We always knew planetary nebulae were pretty. What we see now is spectacular.”
