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Planetary Nebula NGC 1514 (MIRI Compass Image)

A graphic labeled “James Webb Space Telescope, NGC 1514.” What looks like a single large, bright star (but is two) is centered, surrounded by the shape of a short cylinder.

This image of planetary nebula NGC 1514, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.

The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).

The scale bar is labeled in light-years, which is the distance that light travels in one Earth-year. (It takes 0.6 years for light to travel a distance equal to the length of the scale bar.) One light-year is equal to about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers.

This image shows invisible mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which MIRI filters were used when collecting the light. The color of each filter name is the visible light color used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.

Read a full description of the image.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    04:09:17
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +30:46:33
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Taurus
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    About 2,300 light-years
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is about 4.2 arcmin across (3 light-years)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.

    This image was created with Webb data from proposal: 1238 (M. Ressler) and 9232 (M. Garcia Marin). Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    MIRI
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    27 September 2023, 29 January 2025
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F700W, F1280W, F2550W
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    NGC 1514, Crystal Ball Nebula
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Planetary nebula
  • Release Date
    April 14, 2025
  • Science Release
    With NASA’s Webb, Dying Star’s Energetic Display Comes Into Full Focus
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), David Jones (IAC)

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A graphic labeled “James Webb Space Telescope, NGC 1514.” What looks like a single large, bright star (but is two) is centered, surrounded by the shape of a short cylinder.
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

The Webb image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the MIRI instrument. Several filters were used to sample wide wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are:   Blue: F770W, Yellow: F1280W, Red: F2550W

Related Images & Videos

What looks like a single large, bright blue star (but is two) is centered, surrounded by the shape of a short cylinder at an angle in a mix of orange and blue.

Planetary Nebula NGC 1514 (MIRI Image)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has taken the most detailed image of planetary nebula NGC 1514 to date thanks to its unique mid-infrared observations. Webb shows its rings as intricate clumps of dust. It’s also easier to see holes punched through the bright pink central region.

Two views of planetary nebula NGC 1514. Both show an outline of a tipped cylinder. At left is the WISE view, which has hazier lines, and colors that bleed into one another. At right is the view from Webb, which is highly detailed and far clearer.

Planetary Nebula NGC 1514 (WISE and Webb Images Side by Side)

Two infrared views of NGC 1514. At left is an observation from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). At right is a more refined image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

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

Image Credit

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), David Jones (IAC)

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