Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2022

The Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132), captured by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference. NASA’s Webb Telescope has re- vealed the cloak of dust around the second star, shown at left in red, at the center of the Southern Ring Nebula for the first time. It is a hot, dense white dwarf star. [NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI]