$DYING
Webb is "running rings" around this planetary nebula, NGC 1514, bringing it into sharp focus with this new mid-infrared look. At the center are a pair of stars, one of which shed its layers of dust and gas as it neared the end of its life cycle. Planetary nebulae like these are so-called because they looked like round planets through early telescopes. This nebula has been observed at least since the late 1800s, including by astronomer William Herschel, who also discovered the planet Uranus. We’ve come a long way since, with Webb’s mid-infrared view being the most detailed view of a planetary nebula to date. To Herschel it looked cloudy. Fast forward 200 years, in 2010, the infrared WISE telescope caught this view, which does show its rings but lacks the crisp detail Webb is now able to provide in 2025.
