Planetary Nebula NGC 6072 (NIRCam)

In the constellation Scorpius lies NGC 6072, a planetary nebula revealed in intricate detail by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). This view shows multiple outflows expanding in different directions from a dying star at the nebula’s center. One stretches from roughly 11 to 5 o’clock, another from 1 to 7, with a possible third from 12 to 6, each pushing gas toward the equatorial plane to form a faint disk spanning from 9 to 3 o’clock. Astronomers suspect at least one companion star is interacting with the material shed by the central star, creating the nebula’s irregular, asymmetrical shape. The red regions represent cool molecular gas, such as molecular hydrogen. Planetary nebulae like NGC 6072 form when Sun-like stars reach the end of their lives and cast off their outer layers. Webb’s sharp infrared vision reveals how complex stellar deaths can be, offering new insights into the life cycles of stars and the cosmic material they leave behind.