What is Messier 57?

About Messier 57:

• The Ring Nebula is about 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Lyra and was discovered in 1779.
• The object is exceptionally bright and can be spotted with moderately-sized telescopes.
• It was born from a dying star that expelled its outer layers into space, making it a planetary nebula.
• Planetary nebulae come in a variety of shapes and patterns, some that include delicate glowing rings, wispy clouds and expanding bubbles.

Key facts about James Webb Space Telescope

• This telescope was built in collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency and was launched in December 2021.
• It is presently at a point in space known as the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, approximately 1.5 million km beyond Earth’s orbit.
• Lagrange Point 2 is one of the five points in the orbital plane of the Earth-Sun system.
• It’s the largest, most powerful infrared space telescope ever built.
• Objectives: It will examine every phase of cosmic history; from the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the evolution of our Solar System.

Q1) What is Nebula?

A nebula is a vast cloud of gas and dust in space. These clouds can vary in size and shape and are often remnants of stellar explosions or regions where new stars are forming. Nebulae are some of the most beautiful and intriguing objects in the cosmos, and they play a crucial role in the birth and death of stars.

Source: Webb telescope captures marvellous new image of Ring Nebula