With NASA's Webb, Dying Star's Energetic Display Comes Into Full Focus

April 14, 2025 10:00AM (EDT)Release ID: 2025-118
What looks like a single large, bright blue star (but is two) is centered, surrounded by the cropped shape of a short cylinder at an angle in a mix of orange and blue, with pink wispy material in the center.

Summary

Only the James Webb Space Telescope has the ability to fully detail this planetary nebula’s dusty rings with its unique mid-infrared camera.

Come one, come all to witness the “magic” of a dying star’s dust sent across space!

The James Webb Space Telescope has taken the most detailed image of planetary nebula NGC 1514 to date thanks to its unique mid-infrared observations. Webb’s image brings out the nebula’s nuances, particularly its “fuzzy” dusty rings. Also look for holes in the central pink region where material has broken through.

Two central stars, which appear as one in Webb’s image, formed this scene over thousands of years — and will keep at it for thousands more.

Callout: Full Press Release

Visit NASA Science to view the full news release including article text and associated Webb imagery, graphics, scientific visualizations, videos, captions, text descriptions, and other information.

News releases highlighting the discoveries of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope are produced for NASA by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, under NASA Contract NAS5-03127. News release content is developed by the News Team in STScI’s Office of Public Outreach.

End callout
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google

Contact our News Team 

Contact our Outreach Office