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The novel depiction of the Helix Nebula from the James Webb Space Telescope exposes comet-resembling clusters, astral breezes, and striking gaseous shifts.(Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI))ShareShare by:
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What it is: The Helix Nebula (also designated NGC 7293 and Caldwell 63), a stellar remnant nebula
Where it is: Situated 655 light-years distant, residing in the Aquarius constellation
When it was shared: Jan. 20, 2026
A grand new visualization of the Helix Nebula, as viewed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), uncovers the concluding stages of a sunlike star’s existence — and perhaps a sign of things to come for our own planetary arrangement.
A planetary nebula is the somewhat perplexing term for a gaseous cloud (mainly composed of hydrogen and helium) combined with delicate cosmic particulate matter, discharged by a perishing, sunlike star as it discards its outer envelopes, according to NASA. That star, a compact and scorching white dwarf positioned at the cloud’s core, electrifies the encompassing gas, prompting it to shimmer with vivid hues — in this particular instance, within a helix-fashioned (or corkscrew-shaped) configuration, as witnessed from our solar system. (These dazzling, frequently circular nebulas bore a resemblance to planets when scrutinized through initial telescopes, thus inheriting their designation.)
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Within this radiant spectacle, a fundamental action is unfolding: A star’s prior outer envelopes, presently expanding into the void, are bestowing upon the galaxy carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen — the very building blocks responsible for enabling life on our planet.
Utilizing its Near-Infrared Camera, JWST investigated the Helix Nebula more profoundly than ever before. In this zoom-in of a limited portion of the nebula in proximity to the white dwarf, a multitude of amber and gilded, comet-esque pillars ascend upward. These attributes, technically referred to as “cometary knots,” serve as separators between high-velocity astral currents stemming from the expired star and more ancient, colder layers of gas discharged earlier during its existence.
The James Webb Space Telescope’s new image of the Helix Nebula reveals comet-like knots, stellar winds and dramatic gas transitions.
A partial reddish-orange arc at the base, marking the site of denser pillar aggregation, represents the shell’s perimeter. The inky blackness of space looms overhead, accompanied by a scattering of azure background luminaries.
Consistent with space telescope imagery, filters have accentuated the thermal gradients and chemical composition within the nebula, which vary in relation to the proximity to the white dwarf. Close to the star, a cobalt luminescence arises due to ultraviolet emission, energizing the sweltering, ionized gas. Progressing farther from the star, a reduction in temperature occurs, with molecular hydrogen depicted in amber hues, and profound crimson dust distributed even further outward.
A zoomed-out view of the Helix Nebula taken with multiple telescope observations
Being the conceivable seeds for upcoming generations of stars and planetary bodies, this particulate matter is, in essence, the source of excitement surrounding this image — illustrating the life cycle of matter. Radiation alongside expelled substance originating from a fading star engenders locales where more sophisticated molecules can endure and proliferate.
Despite its aesthetic appeal, the Helix Nebula functions as a cosmic reprocessing hub and, in due course, a schematic representation of the destiny awaiting the sun when it transforms into a red giant, divests itself of its outer strata, and relinquishes a white dwarf in approximately 5 billion years.
For more impressive celestial imagery, peruse our Space Photo of the Week compilation.
TOPICSspace photo of the weekJames Webb Space Telescope
Jamie CarterSocial Links NavigationLive Science contributor
Jamie Carter is a science journalist working freelance from Cardiff, U.K., and a frequent contributor to Live Science. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and co-author of The Eclipse Effect, and guides international stargazing and eclipse-chasing expeditions. His work is a regular feature in Space.com, Forbes, New Scientist, BBC Sky at Night, Sky & Telescope, as well as various other prominent science and astronomy journals. He is also the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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