An image of Saturn was released by the James-Webb Telescope on June 25. NASA/ESA/CSA
As it celebrates the first anniversary of its first image on Wednesday, July 12, the James-Webb Space Telescope has turned to Saturn for the first time in its short existence. In the image released on June 25, the ringed planet appears very dark, because telescopes observe it in the infrared: at this wavelength, the light from the Sun received by Saturn is partially absorbed by the methane present. small. amount in the atmosphere. On the other hand, the rings, which are mostly made up of water ice, are much brighter, although some of them are too thin to be seen in photographs.
To the left of Saturn are three small dots, representing three of the planet’s many moons: from top to bottom, Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys. In previous observations, centered on Enceladus, astronomers found a large plume of water vapor erupting from the Moon’s South Pole.
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2023-07-11 09:40:46
#image #Saturn #JamesWebb #telescope
