詹姆斯韦伯太空望远镜通过NIRCam和MIRI仪器拍摄了NGC 2392星云的红外图像，揭示了这颗垂死恒星遗留下的白矮星及其周围的复杂结构[1]。该星云因其外形被称为狮子星云，其独特的狮脸图案由中心白矮星释放的辐射雕刻而成[1]。这颗温度极高的白矮星通过其强大的辐射推动周围气体和尘埃运动，同时照亮了由抵抗辐射的尘埃团块组成的狮子鬃毛结构[1]。
星云内的气体和尘埃已经演变了数千年[1]。天文学家估计，这个宇宙狮子的形态将在大约10000年后最终消散[1]。
The James Webb Space Telescope has obtained infrared images of NGC 2392, a planetary nebula known as the Lion Nebula, revealing intricate structures shaped by a dying star [1]. At the nebula's center lies a white dwarf—the remnant core of the original star—whose intense radiation has carved surrounding gas and dust into the distinctive shape of a lion's face [1]. The radiation from this extremely hot white dwarf drives the motion of nearby material, while dust clumps resistant to this radiation form the lion's mane [1].
The observations were conducted using the telescope's NIRCam and MIRI instruments [1]. The complex structures within the nebula have evolved over thousands of years and are projected to dissipate in approximately 10,000 years [1]. This captures the planetary nebula at a specific moment in its long transformation, following earlier observations by the Hubble Space Telescope in visible light in 2000 [1]. The James Webb Space Telescope is an international collaborative project developed by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency [1].