The Red Spider Nebula, caught by two telescopes! 🔴🕷️ The central star of this planetary nebula glows red, surrounded by a shroud of hot dust, in the new image from the #NIRCam instrument on the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. In optical-wavelength images, however, like those from Hubble Space Telescope the central star appears faint and blue. 📷 NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration / ESA - European Space Agency / Canadian Space Agency , J. H. Kastner (Rochester Institu

Located about 2,300 light-years away, this object is a "protoplanetary nebula"—the final, beautiful stage of a dying, Sun-like star. ​The star at its center (which is actually a pair of stars orbiting each other) is shedding its outer layers into space. But instead of a simple sphere, it has created this stunning, complex structure. ​The "rectangle" shape is actually an illusion. We are looking at a giant 'X' shape of glowing gas, almost like two hollow cones joined at their tips. The 'rungs' yo