Previously, only NASA's Voyager 2 probe flew over Neptune on August 25, 1989, and the Weber telescope took the clearest photos in more than 30 years.

On September 21, local time, NASA (NASA) released the Neptune halo image captured by James Webb Space Telescope. Previously, only NASA's Voyager 2 probe flew over Neptune on August 25, 1989, and the Weber telescope took the clearest photos in more than 30 years.

The most special thing is that Neptune has always been dark blue in the images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope because its atmosphere contains methane ; in the cosmic infrared image captured by the Weber 's near-infrared camera (NIRCam) is off-white , with cold clouds flowing on the surface.

Weber telescope took only a few minutes to image Neptune in close range, a time when Neptune rings were seen through infrared perspectives. ↓

■The latest photos of Neptune taken by Weber

Weber also observed 7 of 14 satellites . Among them, Triton's reflectivity is too high, looking bright like a star, and the results completely exceed astronomers' expectations ↓

■Nether and its 7 of 14 known satellites, including Triton (top left)

In addition, the Weber telescope took another 20 minutes to take a wider perspective. Through this perspective, the imaging also shows countless cosmic galaxies in the background↓

■Webber’s wider view of Neptune

The methane ice cloud on the surface of Neptune rises high above it, which can last for several days. planetary physicist Patrick Irwin at Oxford said that no one really knows what these things are so far, and it looks a bit like the cirrus cloud on Earth. And future observations from the Weber telescope can discover how they were formed and how they were made up.

Senior scientific consultant for the European Space Agency said Weber's unprecedented infrared imaging capabilities provide a new perspective for observing Neptune's atmosphere. The Weber telescope removed all the glare and background, supporting scientists to start combing out Neptune's atmospheric composition, "this was unthinkable five years ago."

Weber's future observations should be able to uncover the composition of the Triton -surface and may show changes in geological activities. Weber project scientist Hammer said Triton is a geologically active world. When " Voyager 2 " flew past 30 years ago, he saw the eruption of a low-temperature volcano. Therefore, over time, the chemical composition of its surface may have changed.

European Space Agency Mark McCaughrean pointed out that the significance of observing ice giants like Neptune is to ensure our ability to focus on other ice giants. Astronomers are searching for other planets similar to Earth in the universe, and in the process, they discovered that ice giants like Neptune and Uranus are the most common in Milky Way .

News Link: Why is the Weber Telescope strong?

Since its launch on December 25, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (hereinafter referred to as the Webb Telescope) has created many "firsts", such as the clearest Neptune photos and the deepest and clearest infrared images of the distant universe to date.

■The first deep field universe infrared full-color image taken by James Weber Space Telescope Picture: NASA

So, why is the Weber Telescope so strong? Its larger caliber and a series of new technologies have brought the observation capabilities far beyond the predecessors of the well-known space telescope , such as Hubble , Spitz, and Herschel .

■ Official poster of James Webber Picture: NASA

For example, it can see darker and older celestial bodies, and can even track traces of the formation of the first batch of galaxies in the universe. After work, it will greatly enhance the relevant research on human infrared astronomy.

■James Webber looks like a space warship Picture: NASA

The diameter of the camera is so large: Compared with the previous largest Hubble Telescope , James Webber's lens diameter has increased from 2.4 meters to 6.5 meters, and the light-gasping area has also increased from 4.5 square meters to 25.4 square meters.

material new: the main material of the lens is alkaline earth metal beryllium, which is almost the width of dozens of beryllium atoms side by side. This is a manufacturing and processing technology requirement that is close to the "magic workmanship" level.

The most powerful "sun umbrella" in human history: In order to shield energy, each layer of this "sun umbrella" has an area of ​​about 300 square meters, and it is necessary to provide a temperature shielding effect of more than 300 degrees Celsius.

Weber is the most powerful space telescope ever launched, first launched in December last year and has been publishing photos of deep space since July this year, already providing a huge amount of unprecedented data. When the Weber telescope was launched, people began to expect what it would bring to humans? We look forward to it to continue exploring the boundaries of the universe and further revealing the mysteries from the depths of the universe to mankind.