We report results from a Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) and Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer ( NICMOS ) program to study the distribution of hot neutral ( molecular hydrogen ) and ionized circumstellar material in the young planetary nebulae NGC 7027 .
HST/NICMOS provided very high spatial resolution imaging in line and continuum emission , and the stability and large dynamic range needed for investigating detailed structures in the circumstellar material .
We present dramatic new images of NGC 7027 that have led to a new understanding of the structure in this important planetary nebula .
The central star is clearly revealed , providing near-infrared fluxes that are used to directly determine the stellar temperature very accurately ( T _ { \star } = 198,000 K ) .
It is found that the photodissociation layer as revealed by near–infrared molecular hydrogen emission is very thin ( \Delta R \sim 6 \times 10 ^ { 15 } cm ) , and is biconical in shape .
The interface region is structured and filamentary , suggesting the existence of hydrodynamic instabilities .
We discuss evidence for the presence of one or more highly collimated , off-axis jets that might be present in NGC 7027 .
The NICMOS data are combined with earlier Hubble Space Telescope data to provide a complete picture of NGC 7027 using the highest spatial resolution data to date .
The evolutionary future of NGC 7027 is discussed .