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A detailed new image of Uranus, released Monday by NASA, reveals the surprising appearance of its glowing rings and a rarely seen feature.
Photos taken by NASA’s high-powered James Webb Space Telescope show the icy planet with its inner and outer rings, nine of its 27 known moons, and seasonal polar caps.
New photos offer a rare glimpse of the “elusive” Zeta ring, the very faint diffuse ring closest to the planet, shown in reddish-brown color.
Several other rings were photographed in a glowing blue color.
The powerful Webb telescope also captured snapshots of atmospheric events on the frigid planet, including Uranus’ seasonal north polar cloud cap and several storms nearby.
As we approach the summer solstice and receive more sunlight, the polar caps become more pronounced as Uranus’s poles move toward the sun. Earth’s next summer solstice will be in 2028.
According to NASA, Uranus spins on its side at an angle of about 98 degrees, resulting in the most extreme seasons in the solar system. While the sun shines on one pole, the other plunges into a dark winter that lasts her 21 years.
“Webb’s unparalleled infrared resolution and sensitivity now allows astronomers to observe Uranus and its unique features with groundbreaking new clarity,” NASA said. “These details, especially of the close Zeta ring, will be invaluable in planning future missions to Uranus.”
NASA also said the planet and its new images will help scientists study the nearly 2,000 similar-sized exoplanets discovered in the past few decades.
“This ‘exoplanet in our backyard’ will help astronomers learn more about how planets of this size work, what the meteorology is like, and how planets form. ,” the agency said. “This helps us understand our own solar system as a whole by placing it in a larger context.”
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