Like Arrakis from "Dune": astronomers showed a color photo of Saturn

A few days ago, the James Webb telescope sent to Earth his first photographs of Saturn, taken with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Scientists have already processed and combined some of them, thanks to which they have happened one color image.

The camera, operating in the near infrared range, took pictures on June 25. The astronomers added an orange color to the monochrome images to make them more saturated, and you could see not only the four rings, but the planet itself. The moons Dion, Tethys, and Enceladus can also be seen in this frame.

The colors in the picture are conditional, but the brightness reflects the true picture. The planet itself appears much darker than its rings in the near infrared. This is due to the absorption of sunlight by methane particles high in its atmosphere, astronomers note.

There is a noticeable difference in brightness between the north and south poles of Saturn, which is explained by processes in the planet's atmosphere and seasonality that are still unknown to scientists. It is summer in the northern hemisphere, and the southern hemisphere is emerging from the darkness of winter.

These are not all frames from the telescope. In the future, NASA promises to show even more vivid images of the gas giant and its rings.

The James Webb Telescope is currently exploring Saturn's moons. According to the agency, it has more of them than any other planet in the solar system. 146 are already known, but this is far from all, scientists are sure.