James Webb Space Telescope captures Neptune's rings – BBC News – SwordsToday.ie

Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent 22 September 2022 image source,NASA/ESA/CSA/STSI Image caption, Images captured by the Webb Space Telescope provide the first clear view of a distant planet in more than 30 years The recently launched James Webb Space Telescope is sending back stunning new images of Neptune. Details of Neptune captured by space telescopes using infrared instruments are the first clear views of the solar system’s most distant planet since Voyager 2 passed by Neptune in 1989. This image details planetary rings made of dust. Researchers are interested in Neptune’s different cloud structures to provide new clues about the composition of Neptune’s atmosphere. These details include planetary rings and dust lanes surrounding the giant icy planet. Beyond Neptune there are seven moons of the giant planet, the most important of which is Triton. Neptune has a total of 14 moons. It appears as a star in the James Webb Telescope image. That’s because the methane in Neptune’s atmosphere absorbs infrared wavelengths and darkens Neptune, while Triton’s icy surface reflects about 70 percent of sunlight, making it brighter. image source,NASA/ESA/CSA/STSI Image caption, Neptune is a large icy planet with a total of 14 moons, of which Triton is the largest…
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