A DYING star’s final moments have been captured on video thanks to Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope.
A few days ago, Nasa shared a jaw-dropping video of deep space that has left people in awe.
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Highlighted in the footage, which was taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is the Southern Ring planetary nebula.
Planetary nebulae are the shells of gas and dust ejected from dying stars, Nasa explained in a blog post.
Located about 2,500 light-years away from Earth, the Southern Ring planetary nebula was previously hidden from astronomers.
But thanks to the JWST, now viewers can see details of the dying star at the heart of the nebula.
JWST used two cameras to capture the stunning footage – cataloged as NGC 3132 – in infrared.
The data and content captured by the Webb Telescope will prove indispensible for researchers.
“Webb will allow astronomers to dig into many more specifics about planetary nebulae like this one,” Nasa experts said.
“Understanding which molecules are present, and where they lie throughout the shells of gas and dust will help researchers refine their knowledge of these objects.”
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Also in the footage is a second star that is tightly locked in orbit with the star at the heart of the nebula.
Nasa called the stellar system complex adding that the brighter star is in an earlier stage of its evolution and will probably eject its own planetary nebula in the future.
“In the meantime, the brighter star influences the nebula’s appearance. As the pair continues to orbit one another, they ‘stir the pot’ of gas and dust, causing asymmetrical patterns,” Nasa said.
The observations taken with Webb’s NIRCam also reveal fine rays of light around the planetary nebula.
Researchers added that because planetary nebulae exist for tens of thousands of years, observing them “is like watching a movie in exceptionally slow motion.”
“Each shell the star puffed off gives researchers the ability to precisely measure the gas and dust that are present within it.”
“In thousands of years, these delicate layers of gas and dust will dissipate into surrounding space.”
