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Home > Peeking at a Giant

Peeking at a Giant [1]

Giant Neptune, its rings, and its largest moon, Triton, glimmer in this false-color image from James Webb Space Telescope. Neptune, the most remote of the Sun’s eight major planets, looks dark in the picture because it was compiled using several infrared wavelengths, which are invisible to the human eye. The infrared also provides good views of the rings, which are dark and hard to see at visible wavelengths. Triton, at upper left, appears much larger in comparison to Neptune than it really is, which is an artifact of its light passing through the telescope. Several other moons look like stars near Neptune, while a few distant galaxies are visible in the background. [NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI]

jwst image of neptune, rings, triton, and other moons
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Source URL:https://legacy.stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/peeking-giant

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[1] https://legacy.stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/peeking-giant