Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Dust Shells around WR 140 from Webb

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 29, 2025 is “Dust Shells around WR 140 from Webb,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , ESA , CSA , STScI , E. Lieb ( U. Denver ), R. Lau ( NSF NOIRLab ), J. Hoffman ( U. Denver ). The original explanation runs about 187 words.

A bright spot at the center is surrounded by many concentric rings. The rings are nearly -- but not exactly -- circular in appearance. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , CSA , STScI , E. Lieb ( U. Denver ), R. Lau ( NSF NOIRLab ), J. Hoffman ( U. Denver ) Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What are those strange rings? Rich in dust, the rings are likely 3D shells — but how they were created remains a topic of research .”

— APOD editors, January 29, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 29, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , CSA , STScI , E. Lieb ( U. Denver ), R. Lau ( NSF NOIRLab ), J. Hoffman ( U. Denver )
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 187 words

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Topics in this entry

James Webb Space Telescope

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.