Making Rings

Rings of dust encircle this binary star system in an image from James Webb Space Telescope. The rings probably formed as the two stars passed close to each other once every eight years. Strong winds of hot gas from the stars rammed together, compressing the gas and causing atoms to stick together to make solid grains. Known as Wolf-Rayet 140, the system is about 5,000 light-years from Earth. One of the stars is especially bright, hot, and massive, so it produces especially strong winds. The star is nearing the end of its life and may soon explode as a supernova. [NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/JPL]