The seventh celestial body from the Sun, Uranus, is an intriguing planet with unusual features. Its rotational axis is tilted at a 90° angle in relation to the plane of its orbit, which gives the illusion of the planet rolling along its course. This particular tilt is responsible for the massive seasonal shifts, especially at the poles. In the early part of this year, the James Webb Space Telescope was able to take a remarkable image of Uranus's north pole in the late spring. It was created by combining two images taken in the infrared spectrum at 1.4 and 3 microns.
As opposed to the visible light images taken by Hubble and Voyager 2, infrared imaging provides a more in-depth look into Uranus's atmospheric elements and movements.
Besides the planet itself, 11 out of the 13 known rings of Uranus are visible in this incredible image. The two rings missing from the visual are faint dust rings on the outer edge, hidden by the reflected light from the planet.
The James Webb succeeded in capturing 27 of Uranus's moons, with the names of the six brightest ones included in the image.
The captivating image is the product of a brief 12-minute exposure and the use of two filters. It offers a sneak peek into the future capabilities of the James Webb Telescope in studying outer Solar System planets. In the future, longer exposures with more filters might unravel the mysteries surrounding these icy celestial bodies.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI)
Learning what exists beyond our blue marble Floating in space!that statement is amazingly mind blowing!
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