The James Webb Space Telescope sent back new images of Uranus with moons and shiny rings.
On the side of the planet returned to the Sun, it is now spring, and you can see the polar cap shining under the bright rays, according to the website of the European Space Agency.
“James Webb” sent a fresh picture of the planet Uranus – the ice giant of the solar system. This is the seventh planet from the Sun, and it is unique in its own way, because it rotates “lying on its side”: its equator is returned to the orbital plane by almost 98 degrees. For comparison: the tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation is 23 degrees.
That is why the poles of Uranus alternately illuminated by sunlight for more than 40 years, and then plunge into complete darkness for the same period. The full period of revolution of Uranus around the Sun takes 84 Earth years.
Right now, Uranus is returned to the Sun by the north pole, which fell into the lens of a space observatory. Late spring reigns there, and summer will come in 2028.
In the new infrared image, Uranus has a blue tint, and on the right side, closest to the Sun, the brilliant polar cap stands out. It becomes noticeable only during the period when direct sunlight falls on it.
In addition, 11 of the 13 known rings of Uranus are visible in the image. Some of them turned out to be so bright that it may seem that they merge into one wide ring.
Finally, many of the 27 known satellites of Uranus fell into the lens of the space observatory. Most of them are too small and dim, but the six brightest satellites can still be seen in the image sent by James Webb.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.