James Webb captures never-before-seen images of Jupiter, check it out

A North American Space Agency (NASA) released new images of Jupiter captured by your space telescope James Webb, revealing details hitherto unpublished, such as storms and auroras. Scientists hope that the images can clarify more questions about life inside the planet, considered (for now) the largest in the solar system, with more than 142 kilometers in diameter.

The two images released were captured by the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) from the observatory on the 27th of July. The recordings were performed by three different infrared filters — they were originally in black and white — and were processed and colored, to increase visual contrast and highlight specific features.

Thanks to all the technology in James Webb, it is possible to notice moons, rings and Jupiter's Great Red Spot, identified in the records as the large white dot on the planet's right side. According to NASA, the Great Red Spot is a famous storm that has the ability to engulf the Earth. Looking at a wider angle, you can still see Jupiter's rings, a million times fainter than the planet, and two small moons called Amalthea and Adrastea. In the background, distant galaxies make a cameo.

“We really didn't expect it to be this good, to be honest. It is really remarkable that we can see details on Jupiter along with its rings, small satellites and even galaxies in one image.”

Imke de Pater, a planetary astronomer and professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

The observations of Jupiter using the incredible North American telescope had the collaboration of Imke de Pater, an astronomer and professor at the University of California, in the United States, and Thierry Fouchet, a professor at the Paris Observatory, in France. The partnership is part of international work for Webb's Early Release Science program.

The quality of the images captured from the plane with James Webb surprised scientists. Imke de Pater, for example, revealed that he and his team did not expect the photographs to turn out so well and was optimistic about future research on Jupiter.

The records are just the most recent released by NASA. In July, the The body had already revealed the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. On the occasion, we could see the Eta Carinae Nebula, Stephan's Quintet, among other incredible space phenomena.

James Webb Telescope Is The Most Powerful Ever Placed In Orbit

As the spiritual successor of the Hubble, the most famous and longest-lived telescope that mankind has taken into space, the Space Telescope James Webb It is considered the largest space science telescope ever built by man. To get a little of the real dimension of the equipment, only its solar shield, a structure that protects it from the light and heat of the Sun, is approximately the size of a tennis court. Altogether, with its more than 6 tons, it reaches the weight of a school bus.

Launched at the end of December last year, the telescope has been in development for 30 years and has an estimated cost of US$ 10 billion. One of its main differentials is its ability to see in infrared and, in this way, observe stars and planetary systems that “hide” in clouds of gas and dust located in regions of the Universe that have never been explored, impossible to be observed by visible light.

Another feature that makes Webb even more special is related to the size of its main mirror, which measures about 6,5 meters in diameter, which makes it 100 times more sensitive than Hubble.

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Sources: PCMag, NASA.