In the image, shared by NASA, Saturn appears dark due to methane gas absorbing sunlight, while its rings remain bright. The photo shows Saturn’s moons and ring divisions.
The photograph displays several notable features, including the moons Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys on the left side, while on the right side, one can observe the Cassini division, Encke gap, and rings A, B, C, and F. The Cassini division, the largest gap in Saturn’s ring system, is clearly visible.
IANSResearchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have revealed a new image of Saturn and its rings which seem to glow eerily in the infrared picture, plus it unveiled unexpected features in Saturn’s atmosphere.
Moreover, it also represents the first near-infrared observations of Saturn made by the highly sensitive James Webb Space Telescope. Being positioned approximately 1.5 million kilometers (nearly 932,000 miles) away from Earth, the telescope utilizes longer wavelengths of light compared to other space telescopes.
The photo was captured using Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) as part of a program aimed at studying Saturn’s moons and rings in great detail, potentially leading to a better understanding of the planet’s past and present systems, called Webb. Interestingly, the image reveals unexpected structures in Saturn’s northern hemisphere that deviate from the usual striped appearance found in deeper atmospheric layers. NASA suggests that this discrepancy may be due to an unknown seasonal process affecting polar aerosols. Additionally, the brightening observed near the edge of Saturn’s disk could be the result of high-altitude methane fluorescence or emissions in the planet’s ionosphere, or possibly both phenomena occurring simultaneously.FAQs
Q1: Why does Saturn have a ring, and other planets in the solar system don’t?
A1: It is likely because it could be made of pieces of “comets, asteroids, or shattered moons,” NASA points out. The new photos of Saturn show its moons and ring divisions.
Q2: Is Saturn bigger than Earth?
A2: Yes, it is about 10 times bigger than our planet – Earth. It boasts a diameter of 72,400 miles.
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