The Ring Nebula’s true structure revealed at last – Big Think

Back in 1779, a highly unusual object was spotted.Its circular appearance led to its name: the Ring Nebula.Its once-uncertain origin is now known: a planetary nebula.The end-state of many Sun-like stars, its blown-off gas gets heated by the hot, central stellar remnant.The Ring Nebula has been imaged many times, including by Hubble and JWST.That data pinpointed ionized gas, hydrogen molecules, and complex carbon-rich compounds.Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Barlow, N. Cox, R. Wesson; NASA, ESA, and C. Robert O’Dell (Vanderbilt University); Animation: E. SiegelBut unlike its deceptive appearance, it’s much more than just a ring.To reveal its true structure, scientists required different, velocity-sensitive data.Using the Submillimeter Array, astronomers mapped out ionized carbon monoxide.The shifted light from these molecules reveals how quickly they’re moving at each location.Astronomers can then reconstruct the Ring Nebula’s full three-dimensional shape.Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)It’s a barrel-shaped shell of material, launched approximately 6000 years ago.Inside the “barrel,” a younger, slightly tilted polar outflow clears out the interior.Folding in JWST data reveals a thin “skin” of neutral molecules surrounding the barrel’s ionized gas.This work refines and enhances earlier Hubble-based understandings of the Ring Nebula’s structure.The dying star’s remnant is located directly at the Ring’s center.Finding a central companion star — hitherto undetected — will complete this picture.Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.

Source: https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/ring-nebula-true-structure-revealed/