Webb Captures Spectacular Image Of Dying Star's Outburst 4000 Years In The Making

Most of us will never live long enough to see the kind of deep space travel depicted in shows like "Star Trek" become a reality, but in lieu of such sci-fi adventures, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to snap incredible images from far, far away. The latest one is being described as the most detailed image of planetary nebula NGC 1514 to date, as seen above (click to enlarge for an even more spectacular view).

At the center of the cosmic blob is a pair of stars, one of which is dying, that appear as one. Up until now, the scene appeared blurry and fuzzy in past images of the distant nebula. Using data from JWST's unique mid-infrared capabilities, however, we now get a much more detailed view of both the stars and intricate clumps of dust that form the rings.

Here's a comparison of the ...