‘Eye of Sauron’ nebula could give glimpse of Sun’s death

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has zoomed into the Helix Nebula to give an up-close view of the final moments of a dying star in the greatest detail.

First spotted in the early 1800s, the celestial object has become one of the most iconic planetary nebulae in the sky, often referred to as the “Eye of God” or the Lord of the Rings-referencing “Eye of Sauron” for its striking, ring-like shape.

In the image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), pillars that look like comets with extended tails trace the circumference of the inner region of an expanding shell of gas.

Here, blistering winds of hot gas from the dying star crash into colder shells of dust and gas shed earlier in its life, sculpting the nebula’s remarkable structure.

ESA adds: "This happens when a lighter, faster-moving material pushes into a heavier, slower-moving one, like oil trying to push through water."

NASA Webb Mission Team said: "In Webb’s high-resolution look, the structure of the gas being shed off by a dying star comes into full focus. The image reveals how stars recycle their material back into the cosmos, seeding future generations of stars and planets, as NASA explores the secrets of the universe and our place in it."