The Helix Nebula is one of the best known and most photographed planetary nebulae because it resembles the 'Eye of Sauron'. It is also one of the closest bright nebulae to Earth, located about 655 light-years from our solar system.
You may not know what this particular nebula looks like when you read its name, but the Hubble Space Telescope has captured some iconic images of it over the years. And you'll almost certainly recognize a photo of the Helix Nebula, shown below.
Like many objects in astronomy, planetary nebulae have a confusing name because they are not formed by planets, but by stars like our own Sun, even though they are slightly larger. Toward the end of their lives, these stars eject large amounts of gas into an expanding shell that, however short in cosmological time, put on a grand show.
This is one of the iconic images of the Helix Nebula from the Hubble Space Telescope
Credit: NASA
This is one of the iconic images of the Helix Nebula from the Hubble Space Telescope
Credit: NASA
Now the James Webb Space Telescope has set its sights on the Helix Nebula, and, oh my, does it have a story to tell? NASA released the new images of the nebula on Tuesday.
In this image, vibrant columns of gas can be seen along the inner portion of the nebula's expanding gas shell. According to the space agency, this is what we're seeing:
