James Webb Space Telescope captures strikingly crisp images of Neptune and its rings

So far, the James Webb space telescope has given us some insanely detailed images of the far reaches of space, providing us insight into the early days of the universe. But now it's turned its well tuned lenses to look *** little nearer to us, and the results are absolutely spectacular. These are the infrared photos the James Webb telescope has now taken of MARS, giving us *** look at the red planet in yellows and purples. So, for the layman, what exactly are we looking at here? *** lot of the infrared information captured from planet is *** result of heat radiating from it. So, ther info mostly, but you might notice *** darker orange area near the bottom of the image. This is the Hellas basin, and it's not only one of the biggest craters caused by an impact of *** massive object on MArs, it's also one of the largest impact craters in the entire solar system. So what does the discoloration tell us? The darker section reveals that the martian atmosphere, which is mostly carbon dioxide, is thicker around the crater. And the researchers say this one image has allowed us to divine the presence of not only carbon dioxide, but also carbon monoxide and water in the atmosphere of MArs

Video above: The James Webb Space Telescope captures unexpected images of MarsNew images released Wednesday from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are revealing Neptune, and the planet's hard-to-detect rings, in a fresh light."It has been three decades since we last saw these faint, dusty rings, and this is the first time we've seen them in the infrared," said Heidi Hammel, a Neptune expert and interdisciplinary scientist on the Webb project, in a news release.In addition to several crisp, narrow rings, the Webb images show Neptune's fainter dust bands. Some of the rings haven't been observed since NASA's Voyager 2 got the first photographic proof of the existence of Neptune's rings during its flyby in 1989.Dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds, Neptune is the most distant planet in our solar system. The planet and its neighbor Uranus are known as "ice giants" because their interiors are made up of heavier elements than the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, which are richer in hydrogen and helium.In the new images, Neptune looks white, as opposed to the typical blue appearance it has in views captured at visible wavelengths of light. This is because gaseous methane, part of the planet's chemical makeup, doesn't appear blue to Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).Also visible in the images are methane-ice clouds -- bright streaks and spots that reflect sunlight before it is absorbed by methane gas. It's also possible to spot a bright, thin line circling the planet's equator, which could be "a visual signature of global atmospheric circulation that powers Neptune's winds and storms," according to the release. Webb also captured seven of Neptune's 14 known moons, including its largest moon, Triton, which moves around the planet at an unusual backward orbit. Astronomers think Triton was perhaps an object in the Kuiper Belt -- a region of icy objects at the edge of the solar system -- that fell into Neptune's gravitational grasp. Scientists plan to use Webb to further study Triton and Neptune in the coming years.Located 30 times farther from the sun than Earth, Neptune moves through its solar orbit in the remote, dark region of the outer solar system. At that distance, the sun is so small and faint that noon on Neptune is similar to a dim twilight on Earth, the news release said.Webb is a more than 10-year mission run by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.Compared with other telescopes, the space observatory's massive mirror can see fainter galaxies that are farther away and has the potential to enhance scientists' understanding of the origins of the universe. However, it's also using its stable and precise image quality to illuminate our own solar system, with images of Mars, Jupiter and now Neptune.

Video above: The James Webb Space Telescope captures unexpected images of Mars

New images released Wednesday from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are revealing Neptune, and the planet's hard-to-detect rings, in a fresh light.

"It has been three decades since we last saw these faint, dusty rings, and this is the first time we've seen them in the infrared," said Heidi Hammel, a Neptune expert and interdisciplinary scientist on the Webb project,

In addition to several crisp, narrow rings, the Webb images show Neptune's fainter dust bands. Some of the rings haven't been observed since NASA's Voyager 2 got the first photographic proof of the existence of Neptune's rings during its flyby in 1989.

Dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds, The planet and its neighbor Uranus are known as "ice giants" because their interiors are made up of heavier elements than the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, which are richer in hydrogen and helium.

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) images objects in the near-infrared range from 0.6 to 5 microns, so Neptune does not appear blue to Webb. In fact, the methane gas so strongly absorbs red and infrared light that the planet is quite dark at these near-infrared wavelengths, except where high-altitude clouds are present. Such methane-ice clouds are prominent as bright streaks and spots, which reflect sunlight before it is absorbed by methane gas.

NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera images objects in the near-infrared range from 0.6 to 5 microns, so Neptune does not appear blue to Webb.

In the new images, Neptune looks white, as opposed to the typical blue appearance it has in views captured at visible wavelengths of light. This is because gaseous methane, part of the planet's chemical makeup, doesn't appear blue to Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).

Also visible in the images are methane-ice clouds -- bright streaks and spots that reflect sunlight before it is absorbed by methane gas. It's also possible to spot a bright, thin line circling the planet's equator, which could be "a visual signature of global atmospheric circulation that powers Neptune's winds and storms," according to the release.

Webb also captured seven of Neptune's 14 known moons, including its largest moon, Triton, which moves around the planet at an unusual backward orbit. Astronomers think Triton was perhaps an object in the -- a region of icy objects at the edge of the solar system -- that fell into Neptune's gravitational grasp. Scientists plan to use Webb to further study Triton and Neptune in the coming years.

Located 30 times farther from the sun than Earth, Neptune moves through its solar orbit in the remote, dark region of the outer solar system. At that distance, the sun is so small and faint that noon on Neptune is similar to a dim twilight on Earth, the news release said.

Webb is a more than 10-year mission run by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

Compared with other telescopes, the space observatory's massive mirror can see fainter galaxies that are farther away and has the potential to enhance scientists' understanding of the origins of the universe. However, it's also using its stable and precise image quality to illuminate our own solar system, with images of Mars, Jupiter and now Neptune.

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