These images of Jupiter and its moon demonstrate the full grasp of what NASA’s Webb telescope can observe

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope, officially began its science operations on July 12. Data from the telescope’s commissioning period, which includes images of Jupiter and images and spectra of several asteroids, demonstrates its ability to track solar system targets and produce images and spectra with unprecedented detail.

The above picture is a view from the NIRCam instrument’s short-wavelength filter that shows distinct bands that encircle Jupiter as well as the Great Red Spot, a storm big enough to swallow the Earth.

At the left, Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons with a probable ocean below its thick icy crust and the target of NASA’s forthcoming Europa Clipper mission, is clearly visible. Other visible Jovian moons in these images include Thebe and Metis.

Hey @NASASolarSystem, ready for your close-up? As part of Webb’s prep for science, we tested how the telescope tracks solar system objects like Jupiter. Webb worked better than expected, and even caught Jupiter’s moon Europa: pic.twitter.com/tW9AT5ah6T

— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 14, 2022

NASA’s Webb easily captured some of Jupiter’s rings, which especially stand out in the below NIRcam long-wavelength filter image. These spectacular and detailed images are proof that Webb can observe the satellites and rings near bright solar system objects such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.

Image: Jupiter and some of its moons are seen through NIRCam’s 3.23 micron filter. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)

The James Webb Space Telescope, a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), was launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 25 December 2021 on a long journey to solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. The first full-colour images and spectroscopic data from the telescope were released on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.