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Observations of the Exposed Cranium Nebula

This video compares infrared views of the PMR 1 “Exposed Cranium” nebula taken by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, as well as NASA’s James Webb Space Telecope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument).

Spitzer’s indistinct view is brought into sharp focus by Webb. More stars and background galaxies shine through the view of Webb’s NIRCam, while cosmic dust glows more prominently in the light captured by MIRI.

The dark center lane that contributes to this nebula’s distinctive brain-like appearance is more noticeable in NIRCam, but its apparent role in the ejection of material at the top and bottom of the nebula is seen more clearly in MIRI’s view. Observing the cosmos in various wavelengths of light provides a more complete picture of how the universe works.

  • Release Date
    February 25, 2026
  • Science Release
    NASA’s Webb Examines Cranium Nebula
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Visualization: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

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  • Video: 1080 × 1920, 30 FPS
    mp4 (2.97 MB)
  • Captions: Exposed_Cranium
    srt (56 B)

Related Images & Videos

Side-by-side images of the same nebula show how differently it appears in near-infrared, on the left, versus mid-infrared light, on the right. Left image is labeled NIRCam and the right is labeled MIRI.nnIn near-infrared, the nebulau2019s outer bubble has a white edge and its inner clouds are orange, with a distinct dark lane cutting vertically through the center. Stars and background galaxies appear around the nebula and through the outer bubble.nnIn mid-infrared, the outer bubble has a bluish tint and there is more material in the inner clouds, which are colored off-white. The vertical dark lane is still present but more interrupted and covered by the clouds. Material appears to be erupting out the top of the nebula, and this effect is mirrored to a lesser degree at the bottom, opposite end.

Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Images)

The differences in what Webb’s infrared instruments reveal and conceal within the PMR 1 “Exposed Cranium” nebula is apparent in this side-by-side view. More stars and background galaxies shine through NIRCam’s view, while cosmic dust glows more prominently in MIRI’s mid-infrared

Two side-by-side images from the James Webb Space Telescope, with the left labeled NIRCam and the right labeled MIRI. Overall image title at top left reads James Webb Space Telescope, Exposed Cranium Nebula, PMR 1. At bottom right are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The north arrow points in the 2 ou2019clock direction. The east arrow points toward 10 ou2019clock.nThe scale bar reads 0.5 light-years/20 arcsec and spans about one-seventh of each image. Below each image is a color key showing which filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter. NIRCam filters are F150W in blue, F187N in green, F444W in orange and F470N in red. MIRI filters are F1000W in blue, F1130W in green, F1280W in orange, and F1800W in red.

Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI Compass Image)

These images of the “Exposed Cranium” nebula PMR 1, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) include compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 03, 2026
Location
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

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