The images show our immediate neighborhood in precise detail, and scientists are helping to further unravel what’s happening on the chaotic planet. Huge storms, swirling winds and burning auroras are all visible in the image, which was taken by the telescope’s near-infrared (NIR) camera. This camera has three infrared filters that are able to display details of the planet. But this means that its images must be mapped to visible light, and the blue in the image is the shorter wavelengths. The image also includes fuzzy spots, possible galaxies that have been hidden in the image (NASA, ESA, Jupiter ERS Team, image editing by Ricardo Hueso (UPV/EHU) and Judy Schmidt) He revealed an image that showed Jupiter floating in space, surrounded by a background of stars. The wide view shows not only Jupiter but also its faint rings, as well as two tiny moons called Amalthea and Adrastea. The image also includes fuzzy spots, possible galaxies that have been hidden in the image. The new images were actually assembled from a series of images of Jupiter taken from images in July. Scientists working at the telescope worked with a citizen scientist named Judy Schmidt to process them into one of the newly released images. The “great red spot” is also visible, although it is a bright white in the image itself (NASA, ESA, Jupiter ERS Team, image editing by Judy Schmidt) The edit used a variety of filters to help specific parts of Jupiter’s composition shine. The auroras at the north and south poles shine brightly in a redder filter. The mists around these same areas are illuminated by a yellow and green that sets them apart as they swirl. and a blue filter helps show the light reflected from a main cloud. Also visible in the image is the “great red spot”, although it is a bright white in the image itself. This is due to the large amount of light reflected from this and other clouds. While much of the excitement about the James Webb Space Telescope has been about how it would allow us to look deeper into the universe than ever before, it has already sent back new images of objects much closer to home. Some of the first images returned by the telescope showed Jupiter and its moon Europa, for example. But the telescope has also been busy peering deep into our world. The first image it sent back to Earth was the deepest image ever taken of our universe – showing its oldest and most distant recesses.
