Jupiter Amongst Stars (with Ring)

With giant storms, powerful winds, auroras, and extreme temperature and pressure conditions, our solar system’s largest planet has a lot happening. Webb’s continued observations of Jupiter will give scientists more clues into the planet’s inner life. 

In this wide-field view, Webb sees Jupiter with its faint rings, which are a million times fainter than the planet, and two tiny moons called Amalthea and Adrastea. The fuzzy spots in the lower background are likely galaxies being captured.

This image comes from the observatory’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which has three specialized infrared filters that showcase details of the planet. Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the light has been mapped onto the visible spectrum. Generally, the longest wavelengths appear redder and the shortest wavelengths are shown as more blue. The resulting image is a mesmerizing view, of a familiar planet, in new light.