Here, a glowing web of red and blue gas spreads out against a lush backdrop of thousands of stars, while at the center a glowing “eye” shines through the dust clouds. This delicate, almost ghostly structure called NGC 6537 is reminiscent of the sprawling legs of a cosmic spider – and is therefore nicknamed the Red Spider Nebula.
Behind this fascinating sight lies the final phase of a star’s life. Planetary nebulae like the Red Spider Nebula arise when low-mass stars like our Sun expand into red giants and hurl their outer layers into space. The exposed white-hot core then ionizes the ejected material with its ultraviolet light, causing it to glow. Although this phase “only” lasts a few tens of thousands of years, it creates complex, delicate structures that spin the material into space like fine webs or ghostly legs.
Thanks to this new image of the Red Spider Nebula from the James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared camera, astronomers can now see details that were previously hidden for the first time. For example, the central star of NGC 6537 shines intensely red here, while in images in optical wavelength ranges it appears rather pale and bluish. There may even be a companion star hiding in the spider’s heart, which could explain the nebula’s hourglass shape and symmetrical outflows.
Webb’s view also reveals new details in the outstretched lobes of the nebula that form the spider’s distinctive “legs.” These bubble-like structures made of molecular hydrogen each extend over about three light years and were formed by escaping gas over thousands of years. A purple, S-shaped band in the center marks the trail of a gas jet that collided with previously ejected material and formed the wave-like structure.