The James Webb Telescope shows Saturn in all its glory

Saturn’s rings have never been seen this way: They glow in a new image from the James Webb Space Telescope.

BALTIMORE — Operated by the space organizations NASA, ESA and CSA, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is meant to peer into the depths of space. The JWST aims to look as far into the past as possible and aid research to answer many open questions. But occasionally the new space telescope, which costs about ten billion US dollars, looks around the solar system and photographs the planets there.

Smallest candidate for “James Webb” records: Saturn, also called “The Lord of the Rings.” This JWST image of the gas giant shows the planet in a whole new light. The image from June 25 is “already enchanting researchers,” NASA wrote in a photo describing the planet.

The James Webb Telescope shows Saturn and its magnificent rings

“Saturn itself appears very faint in this infrared wavelength as the telescope observes. It appears that methane absorbs almost all of the sunlight that enters the atmosphere,” NASA said. “However, the icy rings remain relatively bright, giving rise to an unusual appearance. of Saturn in Web.”

In addition to the obvious rings of Saturn, the moons of Enceladus, Dione and Tethys – three of the 145 known moons of Saturn – can also be seen in the image. Enceladus in particular is of great research interest because research posits that it harbors a subterranean ocean with liquid water beneath its surface.

Recently, the James Webb telescope has also imaged the other gas and ice giants of the solar system in a new light – just like the new image of Saturn, the images of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are stunning. (unpaid bill)