Transition video: Exposed Cranium Nebula (NIRCam and MIRI images)

Nebula PMR 1 is a cloud of gas and dust that bears an uncanny resemblance to a brain in a transparent skull, inspiring its nickname, the “Exposed Cranium” nebula. Webb captured its unusual features in both near- and mid-infrared light using two instruments that reveal enhancing details of the nebula’s brain-like appearance.

The first image shown that reveals the light captured by MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), while stars and background galaxies shine through in the second image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera).

The dark centre lane that contributes to this nebula’s distinctive brain-like appearance is more noticeable in NIRCam, but its apparent role in the ejection of material at the top and bottom of the nebula is seen more clearly in MIRI’s view. Observing the cosmos in various wavelengths of light provides a more complete picture of how the universe works.