James Webb Telescope Team Releases New Images Showing Jupiter and Its Moon

While the images did not follow the formal style of release, they showed Jupiter and its moon in “a new light.”

American space agency NASA, who recently released a new batch of images from the James Webb telescope

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

American space agency NASA, who recently released a new batch of images from the James Webb telescope, revealed two pictures of the gas giant planet Jupiter on Wednesday, 13 July, taken by the Webb telescope.

While the images did not follow the formal, full resolution style releases as posted earlier this week, they showed Jupiter and its moon in “a new light.”

NDTV, citing Sky news reported that the pictures were included in a NASA commissioning document which intended to show that the telescope’s NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) can track moving targets. They feature Jupiter’s moons Europa, Thebe and Metis.

The outlet’s report further said that the images testified to the Webb telescope’s ability to spot dramatically different atmosphere conditions and revealed a short-wavelength image of Jupiter on the left, and a long-wavelength image on the right. The shadow of Europa is also visible towards the left of the Great Red Spot.

The Independent reported that that the James Webb telescope could be used to track near-Earth objects and comets within our solar system.

Previously Released Images 

NASA revealed several images on Tuesday which included several shots of the cosmos seen in a new light owing to the Webb’s sheer power, distant location, and infrared capability.

The images showed several cosmic bodies, including Carina Nebula, one of the brightest and largest stellar nurseries in space and the Southern Ring Nebula also known as "eight-burst.”

Carina Nebula

The Southern Ring Nebula

They also showed the five galaxy body, Stephan’s Quintet and a massive bluish gas giant WASP-96b.

Stephan’s Quintet

Signature of water on WASP-96b

NASA, along with the European Space Agency (ESA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA), released on Monday the first image captured by the telescope – the deepest, sharpest infrared view of the early universe to date.

The image, known as Webb's First Deep Field, spans a patch of sky approximately the size of a grain of sand, held at arm’s length by someone on the ground, and reveals thousands of galaxies in a tiny sliver of the cosmos.

The James Webb telescope, which was constructed by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp, was launched by NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies from French Guiana in December 2021.

(With inputs from NDTV, Sky News and The Independent)