Credit: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and A. Pagan

The mid-infrared view of planetary nebula NGC 6072 from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows expanding circular shells around the outflows from the dying central star, which astronomers suspect is that pinkish white dot at the center of the image. The longer wavelengths captured by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) highlight the dust being cast off by the central dying star.

In this image, the blue represents cool molecular gas seen in red in the image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) due to color mapping.

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Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-traces-details-of-complex-planetary-nebula/

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

Image Use Policy: https://www.stsci.edu/copyright