The James Webb Space Telescope has obtained unique images of Mars.
12:50, 20 September
Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Mars JWST/GTO team
Outstanding new images of the Red Planet have been provided by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists say the telescope gives an exceptional perspective on the surface of Mars thanks to its infrared sensitivity, complementing the data collected by orbiters, rovers and other telescopes.
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The Webb Observatory gives a view of the visible part of Mars, acquiring images and spectra at a spatial resolution. This data makes it possible to study dust storms and record the seasonal changes that occur in the planet's atmosphere. Moreover, the telescope has already been able to track the full cycle of what happens on Mars during the day, at sunset and at night.Mars is one of the brightest objects in the night sky due to its proximity to Earth.
This poses a special challenge for an observatory that was built to detect extremely faint light from the most distant galaxies in the Universe. Webb's instruments are so sensitive that, without special observational techniques, the bright infrared light of Mars is blinding, causing a phenomenon known as 'detector saturation'.
To avoid this problem, astronomers have corrected Mars' extreme brightness and used very short exposures.
The new spectral images of Mars will be used to study regional differences across the planet as well as to search for trace gases in the atmosphere, including methane and hydrogen chloride.
