Illustration of Star Interactions in the Southern Ring Nebula

Extended Description

This six-panel illustration depicts the interactions among five stars that may have helped make the shapes in the Southern Ring Nebula.

In panel 1, a reddish star labeled 1 appears at left, with a smaller light red star labeled 5 orbiting it. To their right is a white star, labeled 2. The background is black.

In panel 2, the red star, labeled 1, takes up most of the frame. It is whiter at the center, and has semi-transparent red layers surrounding it, which extend almost to the edges of the frame. A tiny white star, 
labeled 3, appears within star 1’s central white region. Star 3 is emitting thin white bipolar jets to the top right and bottom left. The smallest star, labeled 4, appears toward the right, just within the transparent red emission from star 1.

In panel 3, the central star, labeled 1, is shown significantly larger. Its white region takes up more than half the frame, and its red ejections take up the rest of the frame. Two stars appear within the white region of star 1. Star 3 appears small and toward the center, emitting jets to the left and right. Star 4 appears toward the bottom right of the white region of star 1 and is emitting jets toward the top right and bottom center.

Panel 4 zooms out significantly, showing a disk of red material with a white center, which represents star 1, at the far left. Star 4 is labeled within that disk, where white switches to red. There is a lighter pink circle of diffuse color surrounding the disk, a layer of deeper blue material that extends almost to the center of the frame outside of that. Beyond the blue is an area of gray dust that follows an arc toward the center top and bottom of the frame. At the center is a tiny white dot labeled star 5. To Its right, to the edge of the frame, are layers of red gas.

Panel 5 zooms out again, now only showing star 1, which is larger and has red emission around it, and star 5, which is whiter and appear within that red emission. They sit at the center of the frame. Outside of them is a blue circular region, followed by a loop of white, and then loops in orange, which extend off frame. The orange areas look irregular and disturbed. Toward the bottom right is a tiny white dot labeled star 2.

The sixth and final frame is an illustration of Webb’s image of the Southern Ring Nebula. Two stars, labeled 1, which is red, and 2, which is blue appear at center. They are surrounded by a circle of blue emission, which then transforms into a lighter orange, and then a deeper orange. The orange shape has irregular edges and extends only halfway across the frame. The surrounding background is black.

Image Alt Text

Six-panel illustration depicts the interactions among five stars that may have helped make the shapes in the Southern Ring Nebula. For more details, download the Text Description.