Planet Jupiter: Infrared View | James Webb Space Telescope

Planet Jupiter: Infrared View | James Webb Space Telescope

This infrared view of planet Jupiter by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope is illuminating. High-resolution infrared images of Jupiter from the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) present high-floating bright clouds—including the Great Red Spot—and low-lying dark clouds. Also, clearly visible in this Webb image are Jupiter's dust ring, bright auroras at the poles, and Jupiter's moons Amalthea and Adrastea. Plus, the footprint of large volcanic moon Io's magnetic funneling of charged particles onto Jupiter is visible in the southern aurora. Several objects are so bright that light noticeably diffracts around Webb's optics creating streaks. Webb, orbiting the Sun near the Earth, has a mirror over six meters across making it the largest astronomical telescope ever launched—with over six times more light-collecting area than Hubble.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team

Processing: Ricardo Hueso (UPV/EHU) & Judy Schmidt

Jupiter ERS Team website: 

https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/approved-programs/dd-ers/program-1373

Ricardo's website: 

https://www.ehu.eus/es/web/doktoregoa/doctorado-fisica/profesorado?p_redirect=fichaPDI&p_idp=195381

Release Date: Jan. 18, 2026

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