James Webb Space Telescope captures the clearest image of Neptune's Rings after Voyager 2
This is JWST's first image of Neptune and its Rings since Voyager 2 flew past the giant planet in 1989. Webb's image does not just show the bright narrow rings, it also clearly captures fainter dust bands around the planet, thanks to the extremely stable and precise imaging ability of the Space telescope.
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is at it again, our newest set of eyes in Space has now captured the clearest image of Neptune's Rings. The image gives one of the clearest views of the Ice Giant's rings in over 30 years.
This is JWST's first image of Neptune and its Rings, since Voyager 2 flew past the giant planet in 1989. Webb's image does not just show the bright narrow rings, it also clearly captures fainter dust bands around the planet, thanks to the extremely stable and precise imaging ability of the Space telescope.
European Space Agency (ESA) states "Neptune has fascinated and perplexed researchers since its discovery in 1846. Located 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth, Neptune orbits in one of the dimmest areas of our Solar System. At that extreme distance, the Sun is so small and faint that high noon on Neptune is similar to a dim twilight on Earth."
Neptune's signature blue appearance in Hubble Telescope's images is caused by methane, the planet itself is richer in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium compared to Jupiter and Saturn. When seen through James Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), Neptune does not appear blue as the Methane absorbs infrared light at wavelengths visible to NIRCam, and appears quite dark to JWST. The bright spots and streaks are the exceptions where high altitude methane ice clouds are present which reflect sunlight before it gets absorbed by the methane gas.
ESA notes, "More subtly, a thin line of brightness circling the planet’s equator could be a visual signature of global atmospheric circulation that powers Neptune’s winds and storms. The atmosphere descends and warms at the equator, and thus glows at infrared wavelengths more than the surrounding, cooler gases."
Neptune’s 164-year orbit means its northern pole, at the top of this image, is just out of view for astronomers, but the Webb images hint at an intriguing brightness in that area. A previously-known vortex at the southern pole is evident in Webb’s view, but for the first time, Webb has revealed a continuous band of clouds surrounding it.
Webb also captured seven of Neptune’s 14 known moons. Dominating this Webb portrait of Neptune is a very bright point of light sporting the signature diffraction spikes seen in many of Webb’s images; it’s not a star, but Neptune’s most unusual moon, Triton. Covered in a frozen sheen of condensed nitrogen, Triton reflects an average of 70 percent of the sunlight that hits it. It far outshines Neptune because the planet’s atmosphere is darkened by methane absorption at Webb’s wavelengths. "Additional Webb studies of both Triton and Neptune are planned in the coming year," the space agency said.
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