Most noticeable in the new photos are the rings of the planet, some of which were first observed by the Voyager 2 probe in 1989. Apart from a few bright ones, other fainter rings can be seen around Neptune.
“It’s been more than three decades since we last saw these rings,” says Heidi Hummel, a Neptune expert on the James Webb Telescope team.
In previous photos taken by the “Hubble” telescope, Neptune appeared blue, due to methane in the atmosphere.
However, the near-infrared wavelengths of light captured by Webb’s instruments show the planet as a grayish-white color and white icy clouds.
“The rings reflect much more light in the infrared spectrum.” That’s why they’re so much more noticeable,” points out Mark McFarren, Senior Advisor for Science and Research at the European Space Agency.
What is also noticeable, which was not there before, is the whitish surface on top of the planet. Because Neptune is “tilted” from Earth and takes 164 years to orbit the Sun, astronomers have not had a chance to get a good look at its north pole until now.
“James Webb” spotted seven of Neptune’s 14 known satellites – Galatea, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Proteus, Larissa, and Triton is the brightest in the upper part of the photo.
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