Webb image archive
Pullout of Aurora Observations on Jupiter (NIRCam Image)
Caption These observations of Jupiter’s auroras (shown on the left of the above image) at 3.36 microns (F335M) were captured with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Ne...
- Date
- May 12, 2025
- Observatory
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Credit
- NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI
- Archive ID
- 01JT64PDDSBE8SZBC911DDV9RW
Caption
These observations of Jupiter’s auroras (shown on the left of the above image) at 3.36 microns (F335M) were captured with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on Dec. 25, 2023. Scientists found that the emission from trihydrogen cation, known as H3+, is far more variable than previously believed. H3+ is created by the impact of high energy electrons on molecular hydrogen. Because this emission shines brightly in the infrared, Webb’s instruments are well equipped to observe it. The image on the right shows the planet Jupiter to indicate the location of the observed auroras, which was originally published in 2023.
Credits
Image
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Ricardo Hueso (UPV), Imke de Pater (UC Berkeley), Thierry Fouchet (Observatory of Paris), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Jonathan Nichols (University of Leicester), Mahdi Zamani (ESA/Webb)