The James Webb Space Telescope spends most of its time staring deep into the universe, but it can also take a look closer to home - as demonstrated by pictures of Mars.
Left: Existing map of Mars. Top right: Infrared image of the same image revealing surface features such as craters and dust layers.
JWST’s images are of the eastern hemisphere of Mars, in two different infrared wavelengths. The shorter wavelength shows reflected sunlight, revealing surface features often seen in visible-light images, while the longer one reveals information about heat emitted from the Martian surface and atmosphere, as well as the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere .
Imaging close planets like Mars is difficult for an instrument like JWST, which was designed to detect very distant, faint objects. The infrared sunlight reflected from Mars overloads JWST’s detectors, so Villanueva and his team had to adapt their method by taking short exposures and only sampling some of the light from the detectors.
One advantage of JWST being so close, and so sensitive, is that the short exposure times means that the entire planet can be imaged at once in high resolution, which should allow for the study of events that happen over a short timescale, like dust storms, weather patterns and seasonal changes.This full picture will also allow scientists to more easily track down the sources of any identified trace gases that they spot.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mars Might Have Been Covered in Lakes in the Ancient PastNew research by an international team of scientists indicates that Mars may have had far more ancient lakes on its surface, which could have drastic implications for finding life.
Read more »
Astronauts could use Mars soil for 3D-printing on the Red PlanetMaking things for Mars astronauts on-planet would be a boon for future human missions.
Read more »
New images show intriguing Perseverance discovery on MarsThis week, explore new Martian discoveries made by the Perseverance rover, learn which pioneering breakthroughs snagged the Golden Goose Awards, see endangered species in a new light, marvel at the latest Webb telescope image, and more.
Read more »
The icy steps on these Mars plains may be ancient wind-blown dustWedged in between these Red Planet features are channels that may have been formed by water or lava.
Read more »
Did life ever exist on Mars? NASA's Perseverance rover finds organic matter in rock samplesNASA's rover Perseverance is investigating signs of ancient life on Mars, and it has now collected some of the most promising samples from the Red Planet yet.
Read more »
Perseverance finds conditions where life could have thrived | Digital TrendsThe Perseverance rover has made an exciting discovery on Mars, identifying the building blocks of life in a sample from an area of the Jezero delta.
Read more »