Webb delivers most detailed infrared view of the Helix Nebula: a star's “last breath” and material for new worlds
The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has once again “zoomed in” on one of the most famous objects in the night sky – the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) – and provided the clearest infrared insight to date into the way a Sun-like star ends its life. The new image was released on January 20, 2026, and NASA emphasizes that this is the cleanest near-infrared view so far of the tiny structures of gas and dust formed as the star casts off its outer layers and transforms into a white dwarf. In the foreground is not just an attractive “picture,” but a series of physical processes that can be tracked almost in detail: collisions of hot currents and cooler layers, gradual cooling of material, and zones where preconditions for more complex chemistry are created. NASA points out that such scenes help understand how stars return material to the universe and thus “feed” future generations of stars and planets.
The Helix Nebula is among the closest bright planetary nebulae to Earth: according to NASA, it is about 650 light-years away and is located in the constellation Aquarius. Due to this proximity and distinct structure, it has been a favorite target of both professional observatories and astrophotographers for decades. However, Webb's power lies in the combination of sensitivity and resolution, so in the same frame, it can highlight fine differences between the hottest, ionized gas and cooler molecular zones. NASA emphasizes that Webb's view of the Helix Nebula also gives a “close” insight into structures that were merely indicated or blurred in earlier observations. Such precision is important because it directly impacts how reliably scientists can connect the shape of the nebula with the processes that create it.
What is a planetary nebula and why is the Helix connected to the Sun's future
The Helix Nebula belongs to the group of planetary nebulae – a name that historically arose due to their appearance in small telescopes, although these nebulae have no connection to planets. It is a relatively short phase in the evolution of medium-mass stars: when the core runs out of fuel, the star changes, outer layers inflate and are gradually ejected into the surrounding space. The core remains as a very hot, compact white dwarf, while the ejected gas and dust, illuminated by powerful radiation, form layered shells and rings. In the Helix Nebula, this “eye” impression is so striking that the object is often mentioned even outside the expert community. But behind the recognizable appearance hides physics that is key to understanding stellar life and the chemical evolution of the galaxy.
NASA, in the announcement accompanying Webb's image, directly points out that this scene gives insight into a possible, distant outcome for our Sun and the Solar System. This does not mean that the Sun will end identically as the star that created the Helix Nebula, but the basic mechanism is similar: the star returns to the universe layers it has built for billions of years, while the core remains as a white dwarf. This ejected material is not just gas, but a mixture of elements and dust that mix with the interstellar medium. Over time, this medium becomes a “reservoir” from which new clouds, new stars, and, given enough time, new planetary systems arise. In this sense, a planetary nebula is not just a sign of an ending, but also part of a wider cycle of creation and renewal.
NIRCam and “cometary” knots: where hot currents and cold layers collide
The image was produced by Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument, and NASA describes that pillars looking like comets with elongated tails are visible in the frame. These pillars follow the rim of the inner region of the expanding shell of gas and dust, as if outlining the inner edge of the ring. In that zone, according to NASA's explanation, fast hot winds of gas from the direction of the dying star strike slower, cooler layers of dust and gas that were ejected earlier during its life. The result is pronounced structures, and Webb's resolution allows the density, arrangement, and “tails” stretching in the direction away from the center to be seen. Such “microarchitecture” of the nebula is important because it shows where collisions are strongest and how energy is transferred through the layers.
NASA describes the dynamics of the formation of these structures as a situation in which lighter, faster material “pushes” into heavier, slower material, similar to when oil tries to penetrate through water. Such interactions create instabilities and protrusions that, over time, turn into densely packed knots and pillars. Precisely because of this, the Helix Nebula serves as a natural laboratory: on a relatively close object, it is possible to study the physics of impact, cooling, and ionization, but also track how material reorganizes over time. Webb's frame, although a cutout of the nebula, “captures” exactly the area where shaping happens most intensely. Scientists can build more precise models from such observations about how cometary knots in planetary nebulae form and how long they survive.
Comparison with Hubble and Spitzer: same nebula, different information
The Helix Nebula has been imaged by many observatories in almost two centuries since its discovery, and every generation of instruments has revealed a different layer of the story. The difference between wavelengths is crucial here: what is ethereal and diffuse in the visible region can become sharp and structurally rich in the infrared. NASA points out that Webb's near-infrared view brings knots to the foreground compared to classic images from the Hubble Space Telescope, while additional resolution sharpens the focus compared to infrared images from NASA's retired Spitzer telescope. In other words, Webb does not “replace” predecessors, but complements the picture: visible light emphasizes different components than infrared, so by comparison, one can better understand what is hot, what is cold, where the dust is, and how all of this changes as the shell expands.
Hubble, which operates in the visible and part of the ultraviolet spectrum, displays ionized gas and wider, “nebulous” structures particularly well, which is why its images of the Helix Nebula became iconic. Spitzer gave important insight into warmer dust and molecular components in the infrared, but with more limited resolution compared to Webb. Webb now combines sensitivity and sharpness so that it is clearer to see how different phases of material overlap and influence each other, and how tiny details on the edges are shaped. NASA specifically emphasizes that in Webb's near-infrared view, a “stark” transition between the hottest and coldest gas is visible as the shell expands from the central white dwarf. Such transitions are important for understanding how the nebula ages, how it cools, and how it chemically “rearranges” itself.
Colors as a “legend” of physics: from ionized gas to molecular hydrogen and dust
Webb's images often use “false colors,” and in this case, NASA explains that colors represent temperature and chemistry. Blue tones denote the hottest gas in the visible field, energized by intense ultraviolet radiation originating from the center of the system. Further from the center, as the gas cools, yellow zones appear in which hydrogen atoms combine into molecules, so molecular hydrogen dominates. On the edges, reddish tones stand out, tracking the coldest material, where the gas thins and where dust can begin to “take shape.” Such color distribution allows both the thermal gradient and the change in chemistry to be recognized in a single view.
The central white dwarf – the remnant of the dying star's core – is located in the heart of the nebula, but is outside the frame of the main Webb image. Nevertheless, its influence is visible everywhere: radiation illuminates the surrounding gas and creates a layered structure in which cooler molecular layers appear alongside hot ionized parts. NASA particularly emphasizes “protected pockets” in which, within dust clouds, more complex molecules can begin to form. In this sense, the Helix Nebula is not just a story of decay, but also of preconditions for future chemistry in the universe. The material that is “scattering” around the white dwarf today can, on long time scales, become part of new clouds from which new stars and planetary systems will one day be born.
Why the Helix Nebula is still a favorite target of astronomy
The Helix Nebula is located in the constellation Aquarius and, according to NASA, is about 650 light-years away, making it relatively “neighborly” in galactic terms. Because of this, it is suitable for amateur observation as well, but also for professional campaigns that combine different instruments and wavelengths. From a scientific perspective, the value lies in the combination of proximity, size, and clear structures: observers can compare different phases of material, track the expansion of the shell, analyze dust distribution, and estimate how the white dwarf's radiation changes the environment. NASA states that Webb's view opens the possibility of more precise tracking of transitions between hot and cold zones, which is important for both physics and chemistry in the nebula. In other words, the Helix Nebula is an object that is already known, but still brings new data when observed with “new eyes.”
NIRCam, the instrument with which the frame was captured, is designed to capture light approximately from 0.6 to 5 micrometers, and NASA describes it as one of Webb's key tools for a wide range of topics – from the earliest galaxies to star formation processes and details in dust clouds. In the case of the Helix Nebula, that combination of wavelength range and resolution helps separate tiny structures and connect them with temperature and chemistry, which is difficult to achieve in the visible region or with lower resolution. The result is not just a “sharper image,” but also a more precise insight into where material cools, where it compresses, and where conditions for more complex molecules can be created. Precisely this blend of aesthetics and measurable data is the reason why Webb's displays often become reference material in discussions about stellar evolution.
After the “last breath”: how material returns to the galactic cycle
When a star casts off its outer layers and remains a white dwarf, the story does not end – it only changes the level and actors. The ejected gas and dust continue to expand, mix with the interstellar medium, and gradually dilute, but chemical traces remain. Elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, together with molecules formed in sheltered pockets, become part of the galactic “reservoir” from which new clouds arise. On sufficiently long time scales, these clouds collapse again, birth stars, and form disks in which planets can take shape. Webb's image of the Helix Nebula can therefore be read as a depiction of both the end and the beginning in the same process: a star ends its life, but the material it leaves behind becomes raw material for new worlds.
Sources:- NASA Science – official article “Intricacies of Helix Nebula Revealed With NASA’s Webb” with image description, color interpretation, and key data (link)
- NASA Science – image data card “Helix Nebula (NIRCam)” with structure description and credits (link)
- ESA/Webb – image page “Helix Nebula (NIRCam image)” with technical details, filters, and metadata (link)
- NASA Science – NIRCam: instrument and observation wavelength range description (link)
- NASA Science – Caldwell 63 / Helix Nebula: basic astronomical context and distance (link)
Find accommodation nearby
Creation time: 7 hours ago