The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured spectacular new infrared images of the planet Uranus, revealing new details of the Arctic region, its ring system, and the atmosphere of ice giants on multiple moons.
Robotic space probes have fundamentally changed our perception of the outer solar system over the past half century. Not only did they send back a huge collection of data, but they also provided us with stunning images of planets that were previously blurry on photographic plates.
Unfortunately, the technology in these probes was primitive by today’s standards, and some planets were only seen during short flybys, essentially providing us with snapshots. . A case in point is her seventh planet, Uranus, which was visited only once by the Voyager 2 spacecraft’s out-of-solar-system flyby.
NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI)
Voyager’s visit revealed many secrets. These included the composition of the upper atmosphere and the first photographic evidence of the existence of Uranus’ rings. It also sent back the first close-up images of the planet, and these looked like featureless balls.
New images in the 1.4 and 3.0 micron bands of the infrared spectrum from JWST’s near-infrared camera (NIRCam) are now adding to the eye-pleasing image body of knowledge.
A new photo shows Uranus’ unique orientation. This means that its axis of rotation lies almost perpendicular to the raceway plane. This is due to her one revolution around the Sun in her 84 years, so that one pole is kept in near complete darkness while the other is exposed to endless sunlight for her 42 years. means that there is
NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI)
This is of great interest to scientists as Uranus’ northern hemisphere will move from spring to summer in 2028. Because this contrast can cause extreme weather and provide new insights into how Earth’s climate works.
The new images show a hemisphere that appears in summer and disappears in autumn, with bright regions known as polar caps on parts of the planet. It is currently unknown why this happens. The new images also reveal a previously unseen bright spot in the center of the cap. In addition, there are bright clouds and extensions on the edge of the cap, and his second bright cloud on the outside of the cap. This could be a storm, or connected to a storm in some way.
You can also see 11 of Uranus’ 13 known rings and a count of the planet’s 27 known moons.
Source: ESA
