'0.00000186 times the mass of Earth': NASA's James Webb Telescope discovers dusty disk around a Ring Nebula
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
An international team of astronomers has used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study Messier 57, also known as the Ring Nebula. The findings focus on the nebula’s central star, observed using JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
The observations revealed the presence of a compact dust disk encircling the central star of the Ring Nebula. Emission beyond 5.0 µm and spatially extended signals in specific infrared wavelengths suggest the existence of a dusty structure.
The disk, approximately 2,600 astronomical units in size, is made up of fine amorphous silicate dust grains. The total dust mass was calculated to be roughly 0.00000186 times the mass of Earth.
The central star, transitioning into a white dwarf, has an effective surface temperature of around 135,000 Kelvin and a mass of 0.61 times that of the Sun. It is mainly composed of carbon and oxygen, with a thin outer layer of lighter elements.
Researchers noted significant variability in the brightness of the central star. This may be due to a low-mass companion star, possibly a main-sequence dwarf with less than 0.1 solar masses, influencing its output.
The presence of the dusty disk is thought to be linked to earlier binary interaction in the star’s history. The current structure may be the remnant of a larger disk that has mostly dispersed over time.
The study, published on 1 April via the arXiv preprint server, enhances understanding of planetary nebulae and post-main-sequence stellar evolution. The Ring Nebula, located about 2,570 light years from Earth, continues to serve as a key object for such research.