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James Webb Space Telescope Discovers “Cool Gemstones” and “Fiery Grime” in New Butterfly Nebula Images
['Ryan Whalen']
The Debrief
Despite this long-standing name, the Butterfly Nebula, as seen in the new James Webb Space Telescope images, offers further proof that many planetary nebulae are not round at all, as NGC 6303’s two lobes resemble the wings of a butterfly.
Those with the highest energetic needs congregate nearer to the central star, while those born of lesser energy expand to the perimeter.
MIRI ObservationsWorking in integral field unit mode, the MIRI instrument aboard the James Webb Space Telescope captured the recent image, zooming in on the nebula’s center to offer new insights into its complex structure.
The team uncovered nearly 200 spectral lines in the James Webb Space Telescope data, providing detailed information on the atoms and molecules present and how they form interconnected structures.
James Webb Space Telescope data also provided the necessary clues to finally determine the central star’s location, obscured by the torus.
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'gemstones'
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'james'
'discovers'
'central'
'images'
'nebula'
'fiery']