The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured stunning new images of PMR 1, a planetary nebula nicknamed the "Exposed Cranium." Located 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Vela, this nebula is the glowing remnant of a dying star.
These images, taken by Webb's NIRCam and MIRI instruments, showcase the nebula in unprecedented detail. The NIRCam image highlights a distinctive dark lane bisecting the nebula, creating an illusion of two hemispheres. The MIRI image reveals a more complex internal structure and an outer bubble with different coloration.
By observing at multiple wavelengths, JWST provides a more complete understanding of the star's final evolutionary stages, including the expulsion of gas and dust. The central star will ultimately evolve into a white dwarf or explode as a supernova.