NGC 3132

NGC 3132 (also known as C 74) is a planetary nebula visible in the constellation Vele; it is sometimes called the Southern Ring Nebula, as opposed to the well-known Ring Nebula.

It is located in the northern part of the constellation, 2 degrees northwest of the star q Velorum. Photos of the nebula reveal two very close stars, one of tenth and the other of apparent sixteenth magnitude. The true central star, responsible for the formation of the nebula, is the fainter of the two; this central star has a very hot surface, of around 100,000 K, and emits intense ultraviolet radiation, which illuminates the gases of the nebula. This gaseous shell expands at a speed of approximately 24 km/s. The distance is estimated at 2000 light years.

NGC 3132 is one of the celestial bodies selected for the acquisition of the first images and spectroscopic analysis by the James Webb Space Telescope