NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Captures Unprecedented Detail of Uranus’ Rings and Polar Caps

• NASA has turned the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on Uranus.
• This JWST image shows 11 of the 13 ice giant rings in unprecedented detail.
• NASA says the image can shed light on the planet’s unique and mysterious polar caps.

NASA recently released a new image of Uranus taken by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The image shows a new side of the planet with a powerful space observatory capturing 11 of the ice giant’s 13 rings in unprecedented detail.

The side-by-side images once again show how much more powerful JWST is than NASA’s other space observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, when it comes to infrared imaging.

Webb’s data demonstrates the observatory’s unprecedented sensitivity to the faintest dusty rings, which have only been imaged by two other facilities: the Voyager 2 spacecraft when it flew over the planet in 1986, and NASA’s Keck Observatory with Advanced Adaptive Optics. He said In an April 6 press release.

JWST is not just taking over the planet. It also takes a wide look at the planetary system Uranus, including its six brightest moons

JWST captured this image with a single 12 minute exposure. NASA hopes that by pointing the telescope at Uranus again, JWST can get better-resolution images of our icy neighbor.

Uranus’ mysterious rings continue to impress

While this image provides a new view of the planet, it’s not the first time scientists have taken pictures of Uranus’ rings.

The Voyager 2 spacecraft, a NASA spacecraft still sending back data 45 years after its launch, provided insights into Uranus’ rings as it sailed past the planet in 1986.

The probe found two new, fainter rings, bringing the number of known rings around the planet to 11.

These two faint rings are only visible to Voyager 2 and the Keck Observatory on Earth. Hubble has never been able to see these rings, although it detected two fainter outer rings about 20 years ago, which brings the number of known planetary rings to 13.

Hubble looks at ultraviolet light, visible light, and a tiny sliver of infrared, while JWST looks at the universe across the infrared spectrum, Insider previously reported.

The Webb’s larger mirror means its images can provide better-resolution images than Hubble in the infrared, which is the spectrum of light used to take this image of Uranus.

Since launching on December 25, 2021, it has offered some stunning views of the universe.

NASA hopes that the two faint outer rings will be visible to JWST the next time it turns its attention to Uranus.

It’s not just the rings of Uranus that are getting attention

JWST’s images also provide a great look at Uranus’ mysterious polar caps.

Uranus is a somewhat odd planet in that it is tilted about 100 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun, likely the result of its Earth-sized moon being knocked out of its orbit thousands of years ago.

This means that the planet appears to be rotating sideways as it orbits the sun.

Since Uranus takes 82 years to revolve around the sun, its seasons are long. Half of the planet experiences winter 21 years every Oran year.

Scientists are most intrigued by a unique feature that develops each summer on Uranus: a polar cap that appears on the sun-facing side.

“This polar cap is unique to Uranus – it appears to appear when the pole enters direct sunlight in the summer and disappears in the fall,” said NASA in a press release, adding, “These Webb data will help scientists understand the mysterious mechanisms of this current. .”