New insights into the Red Spider Nebula, officially known as NGC 6537, have emerged from the latest images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. This planetary nebula, which was cataloged as the 6,537th object in the New General Catalogue, displays intricate details that include expansive lobes, a radiant core, and possibly a concealed companion star at its center.
Planetary nebulae like NGC 6537 form during the final stages of a star”s life cycle. As stars similar to our Sun exhaust their nuclear fuel, they expand into red giants. Eventually, the thermonuclear forces push outwards, overpowering gravity, leading to the shedding of the outer layers and the exposure of the star”s core. The ultraviolet radiation emitted from this core causes the expelled material to glow, creating the brilliant phenomena we observe.
The James Webb Space Telescope has provided unprecedented infrared images of the Red Spider Nebula. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, which showed the central star as faint and blue, Webb”s infrared capabilities reveal it as a glowing red entity encircled by a disc of hot dust. This dust is likely in orbit around the star and is not visible in optical wavelengths.
Interestingly, while only one star is visible in the images, researchers suspect that a second, unseen star may be influencing the nebula”s structure. The characteristic hourglass shape, with a narrow waist and broader outer regions, suggests the presence of a binary star system. Similar formations have been noted in other nebulae, such as the Butterfly Nebula, where companion stars have shaped the ejected materials.
The lobes of the nebula, referred to as its “legs,” represent one of the most striking aspects of this discovery. These vast structures, each extending three light-years, are marked by molecular hydrogen. For the first time, Webb”s extensive field of view has captured their full dimensions, revealing them as bubble-like formations inflated by millennia of gas outflow.
At the heart of the nebula, dramatic activity continues. An elongated purple “S” shape indicates the paths of fast-moving jets of ionized iron that are ejecting from near the central star. These jets collide with previously expelled material, creating the intricate patterns visible today.
This research is part of a broader initiative led by J. Kastner, aimed at understanding how bipolar planetary nebulae develop their unique shapes through stellar outflows and jets. Gaining insight into these processes is crucial for piecing together the final phases of stellar evolution, which will ultimately inform us about the fate of our own Sun billions of years from now.
