詹姆斯·韦布空间望远镜在2026年1月20日发布的近红外观测为螺旋星云提供了迄今最清晰的数据。该星云在19世纪初被发现，距地球约650光年，是距离最近的行星状星云之一。近两个世纪以来的观测表明，其环状结构源于恒星末期物质抛射，而韦布显著提高了空间分辨率和红外灵敏度，使这些结构在统计细节上更加清晰。

韦布的高分辨率成像揭示了气体壳层中大量类似彗星的致密结节，其数量密集分布在内层膨胀壳的周缘。这些结构由高速高温恒星风与先前抛射的低温气体和尘埃相互作用塑造，显示出从高温电离气体到低温分子气体的连续梯度。与哈勃的可见光图像相比，近红外数据显著增强了冷气体和分子氢的相对可见度。

星云中心是一颗炽热的白矮星，其强紫外辐射主导了温度和化学分层。图像颜色定量对应这一分布：最热区域呈蓝色，中等温度区域呈黄色，最冷、最稀薄的物质呈红色。这种物理分区反映了恒星物质回馈星际介质的过程，为未来恒星和行星形成提供原料。韦布由NASA、ESA和CSA合作运行，ESA贡献了发射服务，并提供了NIRSpec以及MIRI约50%的硬件。

The James Webb Space Telescope released near-infrared observations of the Helix Nebula on 20 January 2026, providing the clearest data to date. First identified in the early 19th century and located about 650 light-years from Earth, it is among the closest planetary nebulae. Nearly two centuries of observations link its ring-like form to late-stage stellar mass loss, while Webb greatly increases spatial resolution and infrared sensitivity, sharpening these structures quantitatively.

Webb’s high-resolution imaging reveals numerous comet-like dense knots distributed along the rim of the inner expanding shell. These features are sculpted by interactions between fast, hot stellar winds and cooler gas and dust expelled earlier, producing a continuous gradient from hot ionized gas to cool molecular material. Compared with Hubble’s optical views, the near-infrared data substantially increase the relative visibility of cold gas and molecular hydrogen.

At the center lies a blazing white dwarf whose intense ultraviolet radiation governs the nebula’s thermal and chemical stratification. Image colors correspond quantitatively to this distribution: blue marks the hottest regions, yellow indicates intermediate temperatures, and red traces the coolest, most diffuse material. This physical zoning reflects stellar material recycling into the interstellar medium, supplying raw matter for future stars and planets. Webb is operated by a NASA–ESA–CSA partnership, with ESA providing launch services and contributing NIRSpec and roughly 50% of the MIRI instrument.