In 2025, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) delivered yet another mesmerizing view of the cosmos this time, of the Crystal Ball Nebula , scientifically known as NGC 1514 . Nestled approximately 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus , this planetary nebula offers an ethereal glimpse into the final evolutionary stages of a dying star. Thanks to JWST’s high-resolution imaging and infrared capabilities, astronomers have gained new insight into the structure, composition, and evolutionary history of this enigmatic nebula. What is the Crystal Ball Nebula? The Crystal Ball Nebula, NGC 1514, is a planetary nebula – a glowing shell of gas and dust ejected by a dying star in the late stages of its life. The name “planetary nebula” is somewhat misleading; these structures have nothing to do with planets. The term dates back to the 18th century, when early astronomers like William Herschel observed their round, planet-lik...
“The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can't imagine”