The telescope discovered giant storms raging inside its atmosphere, powerful winds, auroras, and extreme temperature and pressure conditions.
“We hadn’t really expected it to be this good, to be honest,” said planetary astronomer Imke de Pater, professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s really remarkable that we can see details on Jupiter together with its rings, tiny satellites, and even galaxies in one image.”
The two images come from the observatory’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which has three specialised infrared filters that showcase details of the planet.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team
Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the light has been mapped onto the visible spectrum. Generally, the longest wavelengths appear redder...