The newest image from the James Webb Space Telescope reveals the Red Spider Nebula in astonishing clarity. Located near the constellation Sagittarius, the nebula is estimated between 3,000 and 8,000 light years from Earth.
The Red Spider Nebula (NGC 6537). Photo courtesy of ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. H. Kastner (Rochester Institute of Technology)
What was once a red giant is now a dying star, shedding its outer layers in a final display of color and light.
At its center, a white-hot core illuminates the surrounding gas and dust, creating a cosmic sculpture that feels both violent and delicate.
The bright star at the center of the Red Spider Nebula
The nebula’s dramatic “legs,” vast arcs of expelled material, reach outward like solar waves frozen in time.
Astronomers believe a hidden companion star may be shaping the nebula’s symmetrical form, twisting its energy into this intricate pattern.
Deep inside, ribbons of dust glow with heat, captured in detail never seen before.
What makes this image remarkable is not just its beauty but its impermanence. The planetary nebula phase lasts only a few tens of thousands of years, a fleeting moment in the life of a star that once burned for billions. In this short window, the universe gives us a spectacle of transition, where destruction becomes creation.
Close up of the waves generated by this nebula.
See more amazing images from the JWST on NASA’s website.
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