Jupiter has remained one of the largest gas giants in the solar system with several mind-blowing features that have captured our interest. We have seen several unique images of Jupiter through various space missions sent to visit the gas giant in the past.
But this recent photo of Jupiter captured by the James Webb Space Telescope marveled at everyone both within and outside the scientific community. On August 22, NASA released detailed images of Jupiter auroras as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
These images were captured from several unique wavelengths of light by the next-generation space telescope. The telescope also captured Jupiter’s two moons including Amalthea (the bright spot located on the far left) and Adrastea (the visible dot located at the left edge of the central ring) in a single shot. Jupiter’s faint rings were also visible in the shot.
If you look closely, you will see Jupiter’s Northern and Southern Poles Auroras glowing and adding extra beauty to the image. These photos were captured using the NIRCam’s widefield view of the James Webb Space Telescope on July 27th.
However, it was processed to a color that is visible to the human eyes and was later released on 22nd August by NASA. The great red spot and several cloud formations visible in these pictures were captured in white colors. This is because they reflect massive amounts of sunlight.
During a press interview, Planetary Astronomer Imke de Pater of the University of California, who also served as a co-leader in Observing Jupiter stated, “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.”
The European Space Agency, which is partnering with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency on operating the James Webb Space Telescope revealed that the recent fascinating observation will help in providing more details about Jupiter’s inner life.
With the knowledge obtained from this recent capture, scientists could understand how the actual behavior of gas giants located in other planetary systems outside the solar system.
What do you think about this fascinating view of Jupiter auroras?
