Nasa has released the first James Webb Space Telescope images from our own Solar System, capturing the gas giant Jupiter glowing in infrared light.
Jupiter as seen in near-infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope. The Jovian moon Europa is seen at left. Image capture by James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument 2.12 micron filter.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)
Left: Jupiter, center, and its moons Europa, Thebe, and Metis are seen through the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument 2.12 micron filter. Right: Jupiter and Europa, Thebe, and Metis are seen through NIRCam’s 3.23 micron filter.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)
Clearly visible at left is Europa, a moon with a probable ocean below its thick icy crust, and the target of NASA’s forthcoming Europa Clipper mission. What’s more, Europa’s shadow can be seen to the left of the Great Red Spot. Other visible moons in these images include Thebe and Metis.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)
Jupiter and some of its moons are seen through NIRCam’s 3.23 micron filter.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)
Asteroid 6481 Tenzing, center, is seen moving against a background of stars in this series of images taken by NIRCam. Click on the image to play the gif again.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)
James Webb telescope was designed with the requirement to track objects that move as fast as Mars, which has a maximum speed of 30 milliarcseconds per second.
Credits: NASA, ESA,