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NASA’s Webb Traces Details of Complex Planetary Nebula
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NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Since their discovery in the late 1700s, astronomers have learned that planetary nebulae, or the expanding shell of glowing gas expelled by a low-intermediate mass star late in its life, can come in all shapes and sizes. Most planetary nebula present as circular, elliptical, or bi-polar, but some stray from the norm, as seen in new high-resolution images of planetary nebulae by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Webb’s newest look at planetary nebula NGC 6072 in the near- and mid-infrared shows what may appear as a very messy scene resembling splattered paint. However, the unusual, asymmetrical appearance hints at more complicated mechanisms underway, as the star central to the scene approaches the very final stages of its life and expels shells of material, losing up to 80 percent of its mass. Astronomers are using Webb to study planetary nebulae to learn more about the full life cycle of stars and how they impact their surrounding environments.
Image A: NGC 6072 (NIRCam Image) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s view of planetary nebula NGC 6072 in the near-infrared shows a complex scene of multiple outflows expanding out at different angles from a dying star at the center of the scene. In this image, the red areas represent cool molecular gas, for example, molecular hydrogen. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
First, taking a look at the image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), it’s readily apparent that this nebula is multi-polar. This means there are several different elliptical outflows jetting out either way from the center, one from 11 o’clock to 5 o’clock, another from 1 o’clock to 7 o’clock, and possibly a third from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock. The outflows may compress material as they go, resulting in a disk seen perpendicular to it.
Astronomers say this is evidence that there are likely at least two stars at the center of this scene. Specifically, a companion star is interacting with an aging star that had already begun to shed some of its outer layers of gas and dust.
The central region of the planetary nebula glows from the hot stellar core, seen as a light blue hue in near-infrared light. The dark orange material, which is made up of gas and dust, follows pockets or open areas that appear dark blue. This clumpiness could be created when dense molecular clouds formed while being shielded from hot radiation from the central star. There could also be a time element at play. Over thousands of years, inner fast winds could be ploughing through the halo cast off from the main star when it first started to lose mass.
Image B: NGC 6072 (MIRI Image) The mid-infrared view of planetary nebula NGC 6072 from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope show expanding circular shells around the outflows from the dying central 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. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
The longer wavelengths captured by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) are highlighting dust, revealing the star researchers suspect could be central to this scene. It appears as a small pinkish-whitish dot in this image.
Webb’s look in the mid-infrared wavelengths also reveals concentric rings expanding from the central region, the most obvious circling just past the edges of the lobes.
This may be additional evidence of a secondary star at the center of the scene hidden from our view. The secondary star, as it circles repeatedly around the original star, could have carved out rings of material in a bullseye pattern as the main star was expelling mass during an earlier stage of its life.
The rings may also hint at some kind of pulsation that resulted in gas or dust being expelled uniformly in all directions separated by say, thousands of years.
The red areas in NIRCam and blue areas in MIRI both trace cool molecular gas (likely molecular hydrogen) while central regions trace hot ionized gas.
As the star at the center of a planetary nebula cools and fades, the nebula will gradually dissipate into the interstellar medium — contributing enriched material that helps form new stars and planetary systems, now containing those heavier elements.
Webb’s imaging of NGC 6072 opens the door to studying how the planetary nebulae with more complex shapes contribute to this process.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
To learn more about Webb, visit:
DownloadsView/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Media ContactsLaura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Hannah Braun – hbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
View more Webb planetary nebula images
Learn more about planetary nebula
Interactive: Explore the Helix Nebula planetary nebula
Watch ViewSpace videos about planetary nebulas
Related For Kids En Español Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space TelescopeWebb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…
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Laine Havens: Melding Science and Storytelling
Laine Havens — now a senior at Cornell University and three-time NASA intern — grew up with a deep curiosity about how the universe works and a family that encouraged her to explore it. Throughout her childhood, Laine was immersed in science and exposed to wonderful science communicators by her mother and grandfather.
Her grandfather, a retired Kodak engineer, encouraged inquisition into all matters — whether it be the inner workings of a telescope or an abandoned hornet’s nest. Laine spent summer evenings watching Mythbusters or Cosmos, and her mother’s favorite science podcast soundtracked car trips. Inspired by the likes of Carl Sagan, Laine originally intended to become a scientist.
“I fell in love with physics in high school,” she says. “I figured I would study it in college all the way through to a Ph.D.”
As a three-time NASA communications intern, Laine Havens has translated science for an audience of millions of people around the globe through science writing, social media, and video production.Credit: Kristin Rutkowski Photography
Laine enrolled at Cornell and originally majored in physics as planned. But then she discovered an even more exciting option serendipitously while browsing an academic catalog: science and technology studies.
“I was scrolling through looking for a different class, but then I saw science and technology studies and began reading more about what it involved,” Laine says. “It was all about studying science — the philosophy of what it is, and how it interacts with social, political, ethical, and historical dimensions.”
Seeing the new program made Laine realize she could connect her love for critical analysis with her interest in science. She changed her program to a double-major in science and technology studies and astronomy, resolving to not only study and communicate science but to better understand the factors that influence it.
Laine (left) is a senior at Cornell University, where she double-majors in astronomy and science and technology studies. She served as the student newspaper’s science editor and president of the Pants Improv Comedy group. Laine channeled her comedic skills for some of her NASA projects, including a reel that used puns to discuss the agency’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.Credit: Courtesy of Laine Havens
Laine began by working as a science writer at her university’s student-run newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, where she later became the science editor. Meanwhile, she volunteered with The Physics Bus — basically a mini science museum on wheels with experiments for kids — and the Free Science Workshop, an after school program offering kids an opportunity to build things or craft using all sorts of materials and gadgets.
“When you first hear about physics there’s a huge stigma, so we aimed to expose kids to it at a young age so they would associate it with fun,” Laine says.
Laine volunteered with The Physics Bus to introduce kids to the subject in a fun environment, helping them see the magic of how the world works before they learn to associate physics with boredom or intimidation.Credit: Courtesy of Laine Havens
During her junior year, Laine started searching for science communication internships and found one at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. She applied and was accepted to one focusing on NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Following her first internship, Laine came back for two more with the same team.
“Every day here at NASA is inspiring,” Laine says. “I’ve learned so much about both hard and soft skills involved in science communication.”
During her first internship, Laine leaned into her background as a science writer to cover engineering milestones and craft a Tumblr post that walks readers through the universe’s different stages. She also produced videos, including one about Goddard’s biggest clean room.
“Everybody let me take that and run,” Laine says. “I got to write the script, host the video, and edit it.” The video, which garnered millions of views on social media, was the first of several Laine created to engage NASA’s traditional audience while drawing in others who don’t typically follow NASA or science very closely.
In addition to her usual assigned tasks, Laine took opportunities to be involved in many different aspects of science storytelling. This photo was taken while Laine worked as a drone spotter, helping to ensure a camera-equipped drone wouldn’t damage sensitive space hardware.Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts
Throughout her internships, Laine also led tours to teach people more about Roman, helped manage a celebrity visit with John Rhys-Davies, wrote Roman team member profiles, helped gather drone footage, contributed to the release of the NASA documentary Cosmic Dawn, emceed an intern day event, and supported Live Shots — short, live TV interviews with NASA experts.
“It’s been cool to see a different side of things,” Laine says. “I ultimately want to keep doing what I’ve been doing, but also become engaged in how to make it better — the science of science communication.”
To others who are interested in interning at NASA, Laine recommends speaking up.
“Just ask people things, whether it’s for help or an opportunity,” she says. “Sometimes you don’t want to impose or risk looking dumb, but for the most part everyone wants to help you and see you succeed. I’m very grateful to the Roman team for making it feel like a safe space where I could speak up.”
In preparation for a clean room “Get Ready With Me” video, Laine shadowed NASA videographer Sophia Roberts in the clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she supported documentation of integration milestones for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts
Sometimes that meant pitching ideas that were ultimately rejected, but that still provided an opportunity for discussion. “Not everything works, but in talking about it you might think of something else that does work,” she says. “There’s no consequence to it, because either way you’re learning something from it — either from the process of seeing it through or figuring out why you can’t do it.”
The same advice applies to securing an internship in the first place.
“Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself,” Laine says. “If you find something you love, you can’t wait for it to happen on its own — you have to decide to go for it and find a way to make it happen.”
By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Laine Havens: Melding Science and Storytelling
Laine Havens — now a senior at Cornell University and three-time NASA intern — grew up with a deep curiosity about how the universe works and a family that encouraged her to explore it. Throughout her childhood, Laine was immersed in science and exposed to wonderful science communicators by her mother and grandfather.
Her grandfather, a retired Kodak engineer, encouraged inquisition into all matters — whether it be the inner workings of a telescope or an abandoned hornet’s nest. Laine spent summer evenings watching Mythbusters or Cosmos, and her mother’s favorite science podcast soundtracked car trips. Inspired by the likes of Carl Sagan, Laine originally intended to become a scientist.
“I fell in love with physics in high school,” she says. “I figured I would study it in college all the way through to a Ph.D.”
As a three-time NASA communications intern, Laine Havens has translated science for an audience of millions of people around the globe through science writing, social media, and video production.Credit: Kristin Rutkowski PhotographyLaine enrolled at Cornell and originally majored in physics as planned. But then she discovered an even more exciting option serendipitously while browsing an academic catalog: science and technology studies.
“I was scrolling through looking for a different class, but then I saw science and technology studies and began reading more about what it involved,” Laine says. “It was all about studying science — the philosophy of what it is, and how it interacts with social, political, ethical, and historical dimensions.”
Seeing the new program made Laine realize she could connect her love for critical analysis with her interest in science. She changed her program to a double-major in science and technology studies and astronomy, resolving to not only study and communicate science but to better understand the factors that influence it.
Laine (left) is a senior at Cornell University, where she double-majors in astronomy and science and technology studies. She served as the student newspaper’s science editor and president of the Pants Improv Comedy group. Laine channeled her comedic skills for some of her NASA projects, including a reel that used puns to discuss the agency’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.Credit: Courtesy of Laine HavensLaine began by working as a science writer at her university’s student-run newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, where she later became the science editor. Meanwhile, she volunteered with The Physics Bus — basically a mini science museum on wheels with experiments for kids — and the Free Science Workshop, an after school program offering kids an opportunity to build things or craft using all sorts of materials and gadgets.
“When you first hear about physics there’s a huge stigma, so we aimed to expose kids to it at a young age so they would associate it with fun,” Laine says.
Laine volunteered with The Physics Bus to introduce kids to the subject in a fun environment, helping them see the magic of how the world works before they learn to associate physics with boredom or intimidation.Credit: Courtesy of Laine HavensDuring her junior year, Laine started searching for science communication internships and found one at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. She applied and was accepted to one focusing on NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Following her first internship, Laine came back for two more with the same team.
“Every day here at NASA is inspiring,” Laine says. “I’ve learned so much about both hard and soft skills involved in science communication.”
During her first internship, Laine leaned into her background as a science writer to cover engineering milestones and craft a Tumblr post that walks readers through the universe’s different stages. She also produced videos, including one about Goddard’s biggest clean room.
“Everybody let me take that and run,” Laine says. “I got to write the script, host the video, and edit it.” The video, which garnered millions of views on social media, was the first of several Laine created to engage NASA’s traditional audience while drawing in others who don’t typically follow NASA or science very closely.
In addition to her usual assigned tasks, Laine took opportunities to be involved in many different aspects of science storytelling. This photo was taken while Laine worked as a drone spotter, helping to ensure a camera-equipped drone wouldn’t damage sensitive space hardware.Credit: NASA/Sophia RobertsThroughout her internships, Laine also led tours to teach people more about Roman, helped manage a celebrity visit with John Rhys-Davies, wrote Roman team member profiles, helped gather drone footage, contributed to the release of the NASA documentary Cosmic Dawn, emceed an intern day event, and supported Live Shots — short, live TV interviews with NASA experts.
“It’s been cool to see a different side of things,” Laine says. “I ultimately want to keep doing what I’ve been doing, but also become engaged in how to make it better — the science of science communication.”
To others who are interested in interning at NASA, Laine recommends speaking up.
“Just ask people things, whether it’s for help or an opportunity,” she says. “Sometimes you don’t want to impose or risk looking dumb, but for the most part everyone wants to help you and see you succeed. I’m very grateful to the Roman team for making it feel like a safe space where I could speak up.”
In preparation for a clean room “Get Ready With Me” video, Laine shadowed NASA videographer Sophia Roberts in the clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she supported documentation of integration milestones for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Credit: NASA/Sophia RobertsSometimes that meant pitching ideas that were ultimately rejected, but that still provided an opportunity for discussion. “Not everything works, but in talking about it you might think of something else that does work,” she says. “There’s no consequence to it, because either way you’re learning something from it — either from the process of seeing it through or figuring out why you can’t do it.”
The same advice applies to securing an internship in the first place.
“Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself,” Laine says. “If you find something you love, you can’t wait for it to happen on its own — you have to decide to go for it and find a way to make it happen.”
By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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