The Webb Telescope can take detailed pictures of the planets of the Solar System and their moons

Enjoying new pictures taken by the Webb telescope will not let up for several days. They show nebulae, galaxy clusters and the deepest outer space in great detail. However, now NASA published photos of much closer objects that Webb can see.

While setting up one of the instruments, the scientists decided to see if the Webb telescope could be used to observe our solar system and took some pictures of Jupiter.

NIRCam images clearly show the rings of the gas giant, its moon Europa, and the Great Red Spot. Using a 2.12-micron filter, the photo also showed the moons Thebe and Metis.

“These images of Jupiter demonstrate the full grasp of what Webb can observe, from the faintest, most distant observable galaxies to planets in our own cosmic backyard that you can see with the naked eye from your actual backyard,” says one of the scientists who worked with the photo.

All images were taken by the telescope during three separate observations, proving that it can find and track stars near a bright object like Jupiter. This means it can also be used to study satellites in our solar system.

Also during the test, scientists tracked individual asteroids in the asteroid belt to determine the fastest objects the Webb telescope could observe. According to scientists, the telescope performed brilliantly, so we can expect more detailed pictures of space in the future.