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Webb Unveils Layered 'Exposed Cranium' Nebula With Jet-Carved Divide

Infrared imaging traces sequential ejecta from the central star, pointing to a hydrogen-rich shell plus a complex inner cloud shaped by outflows.

Overview

  • NASA released new near- and mid-infrared images of Nebula PMR 1 captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
  • The observations reveal distinct outer and inner regions that record different evolutionary phases of the system.
  • A dark vertical feature splitting the nebula is attributed to bipolar outflows that sculpted its present structure.
  • Researchers employed NIRCam and MIRI to map gas and dust across wavelengths for compositional and morphological analysis.
  • NASA reports the images may capture a late stage of the central star’s life cycle, a developing conclusion pending further analysis.