Mars Is Mighty in First Webb NIRCam Observations of Red Planet (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Mars Is Mighty in First Webb NIRCam Observations of Red Planet

Caption

Webb’s first images of Mars, captured by its NIRCam instrument Sept. 5, 2022 [Guaranteed Time Observation Program 1415]. Left: Reference map of the observed hemisphere of Mars from NASA and the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). Top right: NIRCam image showing 2.1-micron (F212 filter) reflected sunlight, revealing surface features such as craters and dust layers. Bottom right: Simultaneous NIRCam image showing ~4.3-micron (F430M filter) emitted light that reveals temperature differences with latitude and time of day, as well as darkening of the Hellas Basin caused by atmospheric effects. The bright yellow area is just at the saturation limit of the detector.

Credit

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Mars JWST/GTO team

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License

Public Domain

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