Mesmerising images of the end stages of a distant star’s life have been captured by the James Webb space telescope (JWST).
They show an unprecedented level of detail of a doughnut-like structure of glowing gas known as the Ring Nebula.
Some 2,600 light-years from Earth, the nebula was born from a dying star that expelled its outer layers into space.
"We are witnessing the final chapters of a star’s life, a preview of the sun’s distant future so to speak, and JWST’s observations have opened a new window into understanding these awe-inspiring cosmic events.
The so-called “planetary nebulae” is a misnomer that dates back to the 18th century, when the astronomer William Herschel mistook their curved shapes for those of planets.
It formed when a dying star blasted much of its substance into space, producing a variety of patterns and glowing rings and wispy clouds that seem to ripple outwards.
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