REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is celebrating the second anniversary of its launch by providing a special treat, namely the latest image of the ice planet Uranus. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), along with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) shared this stunning image.
The image, which resembles a glowing blue marble floating in a black sea, was produced through the telescope’s infrared filter to capture wavelengths invisible to the human eye. Compared with the picture Uranus from Voyager 2 in the 1980s, images from the Webb Telescope provide clearer details.
By using the infrared spectrum, the telescope’s sensors open up a more interesting view of the icy world.
“The ice world is strange and dynamic, full of interesting atmospheric features,” said the research team, as reported EngadgetTuesday (19/12/2023).
The JWST image shows the rings of planets surrounding Uranus, including the mysterious and elusive Zeta ring. Additionally, you can see the cloud cover at the planet’s north pole, which appears as a white blob near the center.
The image also captures 14 of the 27 moons surrounding Uranus, with each moon labeled on the photo. Some of them are Oberon, Titania, Umbriel, Juliet, Perdita, Rosalind, Puck, Belinda, Desdemona, Cressida, Ariel, Miranda, Bianca, and Portia.
NASA previously only showed Uranus in two filters (blue and orange), providing a simpler-looking view of the icy planet. However, this latest image utilizes near-infrared filters, including F140M (blue), F210M (cyan), F300M (yellow), and F460M (orange), which reveal richer detail.
Uranus, with its unique rotation of about 98 degrees, causes certain sides to become very cold and dark during the Uranian quarter of the year. Considering that Uranus’ year is equivalent to 84 Earth years, this dark side experiences a winter that lasts 21 years.
In the context of further exploration, astronomers believe that the Webb telescope images will help understand Uranus, especially the Zeta ring. These images are also considered an important proxy for learning more about the nearly 2,000 exoplanets in other solar systems that have similar characteristics to Uranus. Umi Nur Fadhilahspac
2023-12-19 09:46:54
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