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JWST imaging observations of the Ring Nebula

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2025

R. Wesson Open the ORCID record for R. Wesson [Opens in a new window] ,
Mikako Matsuura Open the ORCID record for Mikako Matsuura [Opens in a new window] ,
Albert Zijlstra Open the ORCID record for Albert Zijlstra [Opens in a new window] ,
Kevin Volk ,
Patrick J. Kavanagh ,
Guillermo García-Segura ,
I. McDonald Open the ORCID record for I. McDonald [Opens in a new window] ,
Raghvendra Sahai ,
M. J. Barlow  and
Nick L. J. Cox
...Show all authors
R. Wesson*
Affiliation:
Cardiff Hub for Astrophysics Research and Technology (CHART), School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
Mikako Matsuura
Affiliation:
Cardiff Hub for Astrophysics Research and Technology (CHART), School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
Albert Zijlstra
Affiliation:
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Kevin Volk
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Patrick J. Kavanagh
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Physics, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland School of Cosmic Physics, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
Guillermo García-Segura
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ensenada, Mexico
I. McDonald
Affiliation:
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
Raghvendra Sahai
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
M. J. Barlow
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
Nick L. J. Cox
Affiliation:
ACRI-ST, Centred’Etudes et de Recherche de Grasse (CERGA), 10 Av. Nicolas Copernic, 06130 Grasse, France
Jeronimo Bernard-Salas
Affiliation:
ACRI-ST, Centred’Etudes et de Recherche de Grasse (CERGA), 10 Av. Nicolas Copernic, 06130 Grasse, France INCLASS Common Laboratory., 10 Av. Nicolas Copernic, 06130 Grasse, France
Isabel Aleman
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, Cidade Universitária, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil Instituto de Física e Química, Universidade Federal de Itajubá, Av. BPS 1303, Pinheirinho, 37500-903, Itajubá, MG, Brazil
Jan Cami
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, USA
Nicholas Clark
Affiliation:
Cardiff Hub for Astrophysics Research and Technology (CHART), School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Harriet L. Dinerstein
Affiliation:
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
K. Justtanont
Affiliation:
Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, S-439 92 Onsala, Sweden
Kyle F. Kaplan
Affiliation:
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
A. Manchado
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain
Els Peeters
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, USA
Griet C. Van de Steene
Affiliation:
Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Peter A. M. van Hoof
Affiliation:
Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
*
Email: rw@nebulousresearch.org
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Abstract

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We present JWST images of NGC 6720 (the Ring Nebula), covering wavelengths from 1.6 μm to 25 μm. The bright shell is strongly fragmented with some 20 000 dense globules, bright in H2, with a characteristic diameter of 0.2 arcsec and density nH∼105–106cm−3. The shell contains a narrow ring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission. H2 is found throughout the shell and also in the halo. The central cavity is filled with high ionization gas and shows two linear structures seen in projection against the cavity. The central star is located 2 arcsec from the emission centroid of the cavity and shell. Linear features (‘spikes’) extend outward from the ring, pointing away from the central star. Around ten low-contrast, regularly spaced concentric arc-like features are present; they suggest orbital modulation by a low-mass companion with a period of about 280 yr. A previously known much wider companion is located at a projected separation of about 15 000 au; we show that it is an M2–M4 dwarf. NGC 6720 is therefore a triple star system. These features, including the multiplicity, are similar to those seen in the Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) and may be a common aspect of such nebulae.

Keywords

stars: planetary nebulaeabundances dustmolecular abundances

Information

Type
Contributed Paper
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 19 , Symposium S384: Planetary Nebulae: A Universal Toolbox in the Era of Precision Astrophysics , December 2023 , pp. 183 - 189
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Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Astronomical Union

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