NASA has released new pictures of Jupiter taken by the James Webb Space Telescope that captures the planet’s moons and auroras.
The US-based space agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has released new pictures of Jupiter. These pictures, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), capture the planet in great detail. The images were taken by the telescope’s near-infrared camera, which makes use of infrared radiation to detect objects in space. This could help us understand what happens on the planet.
The planetary astronomer, Imke de Pater, who is a professor emerita at the University of California, said, “We hadn’t really expected it to be this good, to be honest. It’s really remarkable that we can see details on Jupiter together with its rings, tiny satellites, and even galaxies in one image.”
As part of a global partnership for Webb’s Early Release Science program, Thierry Fouchet, a professor at the Paris Observatory, and de Pater co-led the observations of Jupiter. The Webb mission itself is a collaborative effort between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the European Space Agency (Canadian Space Agency).
About James Webb Space Telescope images
The observatory’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which has three specialized infrared filters that highlight the features of the planet, produced the two photos. The light has been mapped onto the visible spectrum because infrared light cannot be seen by the human eye. The shortest wavelengths are typically represented as more blue, whereas the longest wavelengths tend to appear redder. Judy Schmidt, a citizen scientist, worked with scientists to convert the Webb data into photos.
The largest planet in our solar system is depicted in one photograph against “the black background of space.” Additionally, we notice colorful swirls that represent Jupiter’s tumultuous atmosphere. The Northern and Southern Auroras of Jupiter, which are seen as intense orange glows at the top and bottom of the planet, can also be seen.
In these pictures by the Webb telescope, the Great Red Spot, a well-known storm that is so large it could swallow Earth, as well as other clouds, appear white because they are reflecting a lot of sunlight.
Webb observes Jupiter with its faint rings, which are a million times fainter than the planet. It also captures two very small moons known as Amalthea and Adrastea in a wide-field view. Galaxies that are “photobombing” in this picture are most likely the fuzzy spots in the bottom background.
The space agency says that the rings, which are one million times fainter than the planet, are also visible. Adrastea and Amalthea, two of Jupiter’s moons, can be seen in the picture to the far left of the rings.