![]() ![]() They modify the upper atmosphere, changing the composition. “Everything is driven by ring particles cascading into the atmosphere at specific latitudes. Lotfi Ben-Jaffel of the Institute of Astrophysics in Paris and the Lunar & Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, and lead author of the study. However, we knew nothing about the atomic hydrogen content,” said Dr. ![]() From the Cassini probe, we already knew about the rings’ influence. ![]() “Though the slow disintegration of the rings is well known, its influence on the atomic hydrogen of the planet is a surprise. In fact, NASA’s Cassini confirmed the raining of particles from the rings during its atmospheric plunge into Saturn, also known as the “Grand Finale”, in 2017. In this case, icy particles from the rings rain down from a combination of Saturn’s immense gravity and other possibilities, including solar ultraviolet radiation, micrometeorite impacts, electromagnetic forces, and bombardment from the solar wind. What they discovered was a first-of-its-kind view of Saturn and indications that its massive ring system is responsible for heating the gas giant’s atmosphere. This includes a recent study involving an international team of researchers that could help paint a clearer picture of the interaction between the gas giant and the massive ring system that encircles it.įor the study, the researchers used a combination of data gathered between 19 from both active and retired space missions to examine ultraviolet (UV) observations of atomic hydrogen emissions within the upper atmosphere of Saturn that appear as a spectral line of hot hydrogen. While much is known about them, they still make headlines from time to time. These new observations from the Webb telescope "are just a hint at what this observatory will add to Saturn's story in the coming years," NASA says, "as the science team delves deep into the data to prepare peer-reviewed results.Saturn’s rings are one of the most well-known features throughout astronomy. In the future, additional and deeper exposures from Webb will help astronomers examine fainter rings around Saturn, according to NASA. Over the years, Saturn's atmosphere and rings have been observed by other missions such as NASA's Pioneer 11, Voyagers 1 and 2, the Cassini spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope. This latest detailed image comes just weeks after the Webb telescope spotted a record-breaking water plume erupting from Saturn's moon Enceladus, which feeds Saturn's diffuse E ring, according to NASA. Launched on Christmas Day in 2021, Webb can study the beginning of time more closely, hunt for unobserved formations among the first galaxies, and peer inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are currently forming. The brightening near the edge of Saturn's disk might be due to high-altitude methane fluorescence (the process of emitting light after absorbing light) or emissions in the planet's ionosphere or both. But the darker-than-usual appearance of the Northern Hemisphere could be from "an unknown seasonal process affecting polar aerosols in particular," NASA says. Unexpectedly, "the large, diffuse structures in the Northern Hemisphere do not follow the planet's lines of latitude, so this image is lacking the familiar striped appearance that is typically seen from Saturn's deeper atmospheric layers," according to NASA.ĭifferences in the looks of Saturn's northern and southern poles are normal, according to NASA, as the northern region experiences summertime while the Southern Hemisphere is exiting winter darkness. These exposures test Webb's ability to spot faint moons around the planet and its rings, since any newly discovered moons could help scientists better understand Saturn's present and past systems. The image was taken with Webb's Near-Infrared Camera, known as NIRCam, as part of a Webb program that involves several exceptionally deep exposures of Saturn, according to NASA. The near-infrared observations of the ringed planet are a first for the highly sensitive telescope, according to NASA - which, at 1.5 million kilometres (nearly 932,000 miles) from Earth, observes the universe with wavelengths of light longer than those of other space telescopes. The Cassini division is the largest of the gaps in Saturn's ring system. Saturn's moons Dione, Enceladus and Tethys dot the left side, while the Cassini division, Encke gap and rings A, B, C and F are shown on the right side. The rings, however, remain bright, creating the "unusual appearance" of the planet in this photo, according to NASA. In the image, Saturn itself appears extremely dark due to the near-total absorption of sunlight by methane gas. Astronomers have discovered surprising details about Saturn's atmosphere, using a new image captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. ![]()
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