The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | James Webb Space Telescope

The Helix Nebula in Aquarius | James Webb Space Telescope

Helix Nebula (NIRCam image)

This image of the Helix Nebula from the European Southern Observatory's Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (left) shows the full view of the planetary nebula, with a box highlighting the smaller field of view from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (right).

A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope of a portion of the Helix Nebula highlights comet-like knots, fierce stellar winds, and layers of gas shed off by a dying star interacting with its surrounding environment. Webb’s image also shows the stark transition between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from the central white dwarf.

Distance to Earth: ~655 light years

First spotted in the early 1800s, the Helix Nebula has become one of the most iconic planetary nebulas in the sky as it is recognized for its striking, ring-like shape. One of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, it has become a favorite among astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final moments of a dying star in the greatest detail. The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has now leveled those studies up, offering the clearest infrared look at this familiar object.

Image Description: A closeup of a small section of the Helix Nebula, an expanding shell of gas and dust. Thousands of orange and gold comet-like pillars stream upward from the bottom, like thin liquid blown up a sheet of glass. These pillars are around the circumference of the arced shell that forms a partial orange semi-circle at the bottom. The pillars are more numerous and denser at the bottom, and darker red. They fade to orange and then yellow in the arc. In the top two-thirds, they are thinner and more golden, and it is easier to see the black background of space. Bright blue stars, several with diffraction spikes, are scattered throughout. A few larger stars are on the right side.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2026

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