The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has provided a never-before-seen perspective of the ice giant Uranus, unveiling its dynamic atmosphere and intricate ring system with unparalleled clarity.
Captured in a series of new images, the celestial marvel Uranus, known for its unique sideways rotation, reveals rings, moons, atmospheric phenomena like storms, and a seasonal polar cap.
The latest images provide a rare view of the "elusive" Zeta ring, depicted in reddish-brown, closest to Uranus. Other rings are captured in a glowing blue hue.
This Webb image also shows 9 of the planet’s 27 moons – clockwise starting at 2 o’clock, they are: Rosalind, Puck, Belinda, Desdemona, Cressida, Bianca, Portia, Juliet, and Perdita.
The polar cap becomes more prominent as Uranus' pole tilts toward the sun during approaching solstice, receiving increased sunlight. The planet's next solstice is anticipated in 2028.
NASA states that Uranus experiences the solar system's most extreme seasons due to its unusual 98-degree tilt, causing one pole to bask in sunlight while the other endures a 21-year winter.
Uranus, with around 2,000 discovered exoplanets of comparable size, becomes a crucial reference for scientists unraveling the workings, meteorology, and formation of these distant worlds.