• NASA’s Webb Examines Cranium Nebula NASA Webb Mission Team Goddard Space Flight Center Contents Image: Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Images) Downloads & Related Information Related Links Two heads are better than one in the latest images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which reveal new detail in a mysterious, little-studied nebula surrounding a dying star • Nebula PMR 1 is a cloud of gas and dust that bears an uncanny resemblance to a brain in a transparent skull, inspiring its nickname, the “Exposed Cranium” nebula • Webb captured its unusual features in both near- and mid-infrared light • The nebula wasfirst revealedin infrared light by a predecessor to Webb, NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, more than a decade ago • Webb’s advanced instruments show detail that enhances the nebula’s brain-like appearance • Image: Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Images) The nebula appears to have distinct regions that capture different phases of its evolution - an outer shell of gas that was blown off first and consists mostly of hydrogen, and an inner cloud with more structure that contains a mix of different gases
Article Summaries:
- Two heads are better than one in the latest images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which reveal new detail in a mysterious, little-studied nebula surrounding a dying star. Nebula PMR 1 is a cloud of gas and dust that bears an uncanny resemblance to a brain in a transparent skull, inspiring its nickname, the “Exposed Cranium” nebula. Webb captured its unusual features in both near- and mid-infrared light. The nebula was first revealed in infrared light by a predecessor to Webb, NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, more than a decade ago. Webb’s advanced instruments show detail th
Sources:
- https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-examines-cranium-nebula/ (Latest source article published: 2026-02-25 15:00 UTC)