                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2026 August 26
    A white dwarf is the bright central point of the image. An irregular
    bubble of gas surrounds it. A more diffuse cloud of gas extends past
   the bubble. Strands of dust radiate outward within the gas cloud. Stars
                      and galaxies dot the background.

                     JWST Images The Lion's Head Nebula
     Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan
                                   (STScI)
         Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)

   Explanation: Are we looking at the future of our Sun? The James Webb
   Space Telescope captured today’s composite image of the Lion’s Head
   Nebula (NGC 2392) with its NIRCam and MIRI instruments. The Lion’s Head
   Nebula is the remnant of a Sun-like star. This star was unable to
   sustain the nuclear fusion in its core needed to remain stable. It
   began to shed layers of gas and dust into space, forming this planetary
   nebula. A hot stellar core, called a white dwarf, is left behind within
   the lion’s nose. Do not boop this nose! Intense radiation from the
   white dwarf is ionizing the gas as it expands, creating the irregular
   bubble that makes up the lion’s face. Dust clumps that have survived
   the white dwarf’s radiation and a cloud of ionized gas make up the
   lion’s mane. This new and more detailed view of the nebula will help
   humanity learn more about how the gas and dust interact with each other
   and the white dwarf radiation.

                  Tomorrow's picture: a waterfall of light
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

