JWST captures Neptune rings; NASA shares pics

NASA telescope, the JWST, has captured its first-ever image of Neptune and its rings. NASA shared images on its official Instagram handle. It is the clearest view of this planet’s rings in 33 years. James Webb Space Telescope infrared cameras revealed the ice giant in a completely new light. Heidi Hammel, a Neptune system expert and interdisciplinary scientist for Webb Telescope, in a blog stated, “It has been three decades since we last saw these faint, dusty rings, and this is the first time we’ve seen them in the infrared.” Check out Neptune’s pics captured by NASA here.

The picture of Neptune captured by Nasa’s JWST shows its rings distinctly. Set against a dark background, the planet appears as a pearl with ethereal concentric ovals around it. (NASA)

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1/5 The picture of Neptune captured by Nasa’s JWST shows its rings distinctly. Set against a dark background, the planet appears as a pearl with ethereal concentric ovals around it. (NASA)

Neptune is deemed an ice giant due to the chemical makeup of its interior. Compared to the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune is much richer in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. (Nasa)

2/5 Neptune is deemed an ice giant due to the chemical makeup of its interior. Compared to the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune is much richer in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. (Nasa)

The brightness in the JWST's portrait of Neptune appears because it's filtered by the telescope's infrared lenses. (Nasa)

3/5 The brightness in the JWST's portrait of Neptune appears because it's filtered by the telescope's infrared lenses. (Nasa)

That’s not all, Webb also captured seven of Neptune's 14 known moons. A very bright point of light seen in Webb’s images is Neptune's large and unusual moon, Triton. It is covered in frozen, condensed nitrogen and reflects 70% of the sunlight that hits it. That’s why it appeared very bright to Webb. (Nasa)

4/5 That’s not all, Webb also captured seven of Neptune's 14 known moons. A very bright point of light seen in Webb’s images is Neptune's large and unusual moon, Triton. It is covered in frozen, condensed nitrogen and reflects 70% of the sunlight that hits it. That’s why it appeared very bright to Webb. (Nasa)

Neptune planet was discovered in 1846 and since then it has always fascinated researchers. The planet is located 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth and hence, its orbits are in the remote, dark region of the outer solar system. According to Nasa, the Sun is so farther from Neptune that high noon is similar to a dim twilight on Earth. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

5/5 Neptune planet was discovered in 1846 and since then it has always fascinated researchers. The planet is located 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth and hence, its orbits are in the remote, dark region of the outer solar system. According to Nasa, the Sun is so farther from Neptune that high noon is similar to a dim twilight on Earth. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)