Unveiling the Intricate Details of a Dying Star: A Look at the James Webb Space Telescope
In a new paper published in the Astrophysical Journal, a team of astronomers has used data from the James Webb Space Telescope to explore the intricacies of a dying star. By studying the star’s outermost regions, the team was able to gain insight into the inner workings of a dying star and how it transitions from an active star to a planetary nebula.
The star, called M2-9, is a so-called ‘butterfly nebula’ – a type of planetary nebula with two lobes of gas that look like wings. Using the near-infrared capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, the team was able to observe the intricate details of the star’s outer layers and how the gas is flowing. They found that the gas is flowing from the star in a complex and asymmetrical pattern, with the gas mostly concentrated in the two lobes of the nebula. This asymmetry, the team says, could be caused by the star’s rotation, as the star spins faster and faster as it approaches the end of its life.
What’s more, the team was also able to observe the star’s ‘halo’ – a region of gas that is thought to be the remnants of the star’s
source: Phys.org