NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope provides a high-resolution, near-infrared view of the Helix Nebula, revealing comet-like knots, fast stellar winds, and layers of gas shed by a dying star interacting with its surroundings.

Located about 650 light-years away in Aquarius, the Helix Nebula’s striking appearance has earned it comparisons to the Eye of Sauron as a well-studied planetary nebula.

The image illustrates hot gas from the central white dwarf colliding with slower, cooler gas, shaping the nebula’s structure and highlighting gas recycling into the cosmos.

The study underscores how dying stars supply raw materials for future generations of stars and planets, reinforcing the scientific value of understanding stellar death and material recycling in the galaxy.

Although called a planetary nebula, it is not related to planets; it is a phenomenon from dying stars shedding outer layers.

The image uses color to convey temperature and chemistry: blue for the hottest gas near the white dwarf, yellow for cooler gas where hydrogen molecules form, and red at the outer edges for the coldest material and dust formation zones.

A standout feature is the cometary knots—dense, dusty structures formed by the interaction of hot gas with cooler surrounding material.

Webb’s observations build on prior Spitzer findings, revealing how complex molecules form in shielded regions within the nebula, including dark pockets amid glowing gas.

The view emphasizes the contrast among hot ionized gas near the white dwarf, cooler molecular hydrogen farther out, and dust-enshrouded pockets where complex molecules may form, signaling raw material for future planet formation.