New JWST images reveal the Lion Nebula in all its glory– www.scientificamerican.com Imagine a lion with the nose of a dying star, a mane of space dust and a habitat 10,000 light-years away from Earth. On its infrared galactic safari, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) just captured it on camera. The planetary nebula NGC 2392, nicknamed the Lion Nebula for its resemblance to the animal, was previously viewed in 2000 by the Hubble Space Telescope. Now astronomers have captured an even clearer view of it. Planetary nebulae like the Lion Nebula are glowing shells surrounding a dying star, or white dwarf, at their center. The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path. And the border, or “mane,” of the planetary nebula is a shell of dust surrounding the white dwarf. If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The new images reveal the ionized gas and clumps of dust surrounding the white dwarf more clearly than the older Hubble pictures. The structure formed by the gas and dust, visible in the new observations as complex rings and shells, is an astronomical phenomenon researchers still don’t totally understand. The star will eventually die, destroying the lion and dispersing all the gas and dust into interstellar space. Astronomers estimate that its final roar will occur around 10,000 years from now. If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too. If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized. In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription. There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
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