This strange persona may attend like a mobile phone dividing , or perhaps even a brain , but it ’s neither of those thing — it ’s in reality a space nebula , located 1,500 unclouded - years aside . Known affectionately as the Crystal Ball Nebula or more technically as NGC 1514 , the dramatic structure of this physical object was create by the drama of a die adept .
The James Webb Space Telescope captured this image , showing the nebula in more detail than ever before . The object was previously observed using a NASA scope called the Wide - subject Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) in 2010 by researcher Mike Ressler of NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , and he had the chance to go back and look at the physical object again using the cutting - edge powers of Webb ’s MIRI official document ( Mid - Infrared Instrument ) . That register up a set of fuzzy rings that were only visible in the infrared and some voids nigher to the mall of the object .
“ Before Webb , we were n’t capable to observe most of this material , let alone observe it so clearly , ” said Ressler . “ With MIRI ’s data , we can now comprehensively examine the turbulent nature of this nebula . ”
Two infrared views of NGC 1514. At left is an observation from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). At right is a more refined image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, Caltech, UCLA, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC)
The nebula has this strange shape because it was create by a brace of mavin that lie at its heart . One of this dyad number to the end of its fuel and puffed up , then throw off layers of dust and gas , leaving only a raging core called awhite dwarf . This dwarf consecrate off weak but fast blast of material call stellar lead , which shape the material around it . Researchers intend that the material is being driven into an hourglass shape due to the presence of the other half of the pair , which has created the two bright rings .
“ When this star was at its peak of lose material , the companion could have gotten very , very close , ” state David Jones of the Institute of Astrophysics on the Canary Islands , who has also study this system . “ That fundamental interaction can precede to shapes that you would n’t expect . Instead of producing a area , this interaction might have formed these rings . ”
With Webb ’s observations , you’re able to see that the ringing are n’t strong . Rather , they are fuzzed and thicker in some places than others . “ We think the annulus are primarily made up of very little debris grain , ” Ressler said . “ When those grain are arrive at by ultraviolet light from the white dwarf star , they inflame up ever so slimly , which we think makes them just warm enough to be detected by Webb in mid - infrared light . ”
