The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed stunning images of Saturn

The James Webb Space Telescope has been in space since December 25, 2021 providing information about the formation of the universe. A few days ago, James Webb sent pictures of Saturn. Space organization NASA is now showing one of the photos on Instagram and comments on her blog. The space agency notes that the data associated with the images has not yet been through the peer-review process (checked by independent researchers). However, the pictures are great.

James Webb can see through dust and gas in space

The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful telescope ever launched into space. This is a joint project between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the European Space Agency (ESA). What makes the telescope special is its ability to capture infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye. This gives scientists the opportunity to measure the light that originated in space billions of years ago. James Webb can also see dust and gas in space.

This is exactly how the current images of Saturn were created. For the first time, researchers have tested the “NIRCam” (Near Infrared Camera) aboard the James Webb Space Telescope on the planet. These pictures are really great researchersAccording to the space agency’s blog.

Significant visual difference between the planet and the rings

According to a NASA blog, Saturn appears so dark in the new James Webb images because “almost all of the sunlight falling on the atmosphere is absorbed by methane.” On the other hand, the planet’s rings appear very bright in the images because they do not contain methane. This leads to an unusual appearance.

The researchers, in charge of the James Webb Space Telescope, tested whether the near infrared camera NIRCam could also record fainter moons around the planet. Saturn has more than 140 known moons. The result: you can.

James Webb shows the atmosphere of Saturn very clearly

The moons Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys can be seen in the images. NASA says this feature could help scientists get a more complete picture of Saturn’s current system and its past.

What also surprises the researchers is the sheer clarity with which James Webb recorded Saturn’s atmosphere. According to NASA, the previous Cassini spacecraft also observed the atmosphere with great clarity. But this is the first time the planet’s atmosphere has been seen so clearly at this particular wavelength (3.23 microns). This is unique with a telescope. Researchers believe that this is just a prelude to what James Webb will show in the coming years.