NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured the rings of the ice giant Uranus shining in a new planetary portrait, along with six of its 27 known moons.
Since launching to space on Christmas day 2021, the JWST has been tirelessly observing the heavens, granting astronomers invaluable insights into its workings while providing stunning examples of astrophotography that work to highlight the beauty of the cosmos.
Whilst much of the telescope’s time is taken up peering at distant galaxies and stellar nurseries, astronomers have also built time into the JWST’s busy schedule to observe the planets that make up our solar system. Most recently, the JWST’s handlers commanded Webb’s great golden eye to snap a new portrait of the icy planet Uranus.
The image was captured during a 12-minute exposure taken in February using the telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera, which specialises in detecting light that is impossible to see with the naked human eye. 11 of Uranus’ 13 known rings can be seen adorning the planet, along with six of its 27 moons.
Webb’s latest portrait also highlights a bright patch present in the upper atmosphere of the ice giant known as the polar cap. Scientists do not yet know what causes the phenomenon, which has been known to occurwhen the planet’s rotational axis is in direct sunlight during Uranus’ summer season.
Uranus is the only planet in our solar system that spins on its side relative to the rest of the planets in the solar system, including Earth. Astronomers believe that an ancient collision with an Earth-sized planet caused Uranus to lurch 97 degrees onto its side – a quirk that grants the planet incredibly long, extreme seasons.
The JWST is set to devote further telescope time to Uranus in the coming months in an attempt to unravel more of the icy planet’s secrets. In the meantime stick with IGN to stay up to date with the biggest news in the world of science.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
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