NASA released an “absolutely astonishing” image of Jupiter this week taken with the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope.
The image of the largest planet is part of a set of fresh deep space images taken with the telescope, according to a report.
It captures Jupiter and Europa, one of its moons, bathing in infrared wavelengths.
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Hey @NASASolarSystem, ready for your close-up? As part of Webb’s prep for science, we tested how the telescope tracks solar system objects like Jupiter. Webb worked better than expected, and even caught Jupiter’s moon Europa: https://t.co/zNHc724h9X pic.twitter.com/tW9AT5ah6T
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 14, 2022
NASA captured the image using the telescope’s near-infrared camera, or NIRCam, the report noted.
“I couldn’t believe that we saw everything so clearly, and how bright they were,” Stefanie Milam, Webb’s deputy project scientist for planetary science at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said. “It’s really exciting to think of the capability and opportunity that we have for observing these kinds of objects in our solar system.”
“I think that’s just one of the coolest things that we’ll be able to do with this telescope in the solar system,” Milam said, calling the images “absolutely astonishing and amazing.”
Bryan Holler of the Space Telescope Science Institute praised the Webb telescope for its abilities.
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The images “demonstrate the full grasp of what Webb can observe, from the faintest, most distant observable galaxies to planets in our own cosmic backyard that you can see with the naked eye from your actual backyard,” Holler said.
