Remarkable ...

The wide-field image of Jupiter reveals its moons and rings. Image: NASA, ESA, Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Ricardo Hueso (UPV/EHU) and Judy Schmidt

Remarkable image from the Webb shows Jove in all his glory. Stellar without a doubt.

Jupiter is always a stunner. For years, the Juno spacecraft has beamed back incredible images of the solar system’s largest planet that showcase its swirling winds and gaseous streaks. But the amount of detail revealed by the Webb images is something else. That’s due to Webb’s ability to collect infrared light, a wavelength that is not visible to the human eye but that can travel through gas and dust that would otherwise obscure light. The images you see here are translated into the visible spectrum, to make them viewable by us and to highlight specific features of Jupiter.

Webb also revealed Jupiter’s dark ring system, which is a million times fainter than Jupiter itself, and the moons Amalthea and Adrastea. Meanwhile, tiny bright spots in the background are distant galaxies. “It’s really remarkable that we can see details on Jupiter together with its rings, tiny satellites and even galaxies in one image,” said de Pater.

Remarkable indeed.