"When viewed through early telescopes, some nebula appeared round, so astronomers in the 18th and 19th centuries likened them to planets. These so-called planetary nebulae, having actually nothing to do with planets, are formed when a star-of a type similar to the Sun-emits huge amounts of ionized gases as it reaches the end of its life."
""After ballooning into cool red giants, these stars shed their outer layers and cast them into space, exposing their white-hot cores," scientists say. Ultraviolet light from the star then causes the material to glow as it's cast off into space. "The planetary nebula phase of a star's life is as fleeting as it is beautiful, lasting only a few tens of thousands of years.""
"Webb's newest image of the Red Spider Nebula, named for its wide lobes that form the "legs" of its namesake, shows hot dust likely orbiting the central star. "Though only a single star is visible in the Red Spider's heart, a hidden companion star may lurk there as well," a statement says. "A stellar companion could explain the nebula's shape, including its characteristic narrow waist and wide outflows.""
Planetary nebulae form when Sun-like stars expand into red giants, shed their outer layers, and expose hot cores that ionize the expelled gas. Ultraviolet radiation causes the ejected material to glow during a brief planetary nebula phase lasting only tens of thousands of years. The James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam captured the Red Spider Nebula (NGC 6537), revealing wide lobes resembling legs and hot dust likely orbiting the central star. The nebula's narrow waist and wide outflows may result from an unseen companion star shaping the ejection geometry. Additional Webb images are available from the NASA/ESA/CSA JWST website.
#planetary-nebulae #red-spider-nebula-ngc-6537 #james-webb-space-telescope-nircam #stellar-evolution
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