There is a blue-eyed special in NASA's next- generation space telescope.
After releasing its first images on July 12th, the James Webb Space Telescope will focus on two ice giants. The two worlds were only briefly visited by a single craft in the 1980s.
Since then, scientists have been forced to use numerous telescopes to keep tabs on the weather on these worlds. Scientists want the observatory to study the composition and temperature of each atmosphere to get a sense of how circulation patterns and weather play out on the distant worlds.
Live updates: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission
Related: How the James Webb Space Telescope works in pictures
As community calls mount for a mission to Uranus and Neptune, it's a good time to look at these worlds in high definition to learn more about their differences. The interiors of Neptune and Uranus are not as rich in hydrogen and helium as their neighbors.
It is very difficult to map the atmospheric temperature and chemical structure from any other facility, according to the study leader.
The weather and climate of the ice giants are going to have a different character than the gas giants. "That's partly because they're so far away from the sun, they're smaller in size and rotating slower on their axes, but also because the blend of gases and the amount of atmospheric mixing is very different compared with Jupiter andSaturn."
The mid-IR range of wavelength will allow investigators to distinguish between gases in the upper atmosphere of the two planets and figure out how sunlight affects their production.
The studies are being done through a guaranteed time observation program. In addition to his work as a planetary scientist, Hammel is well-known for his telescopic observations of the planets.
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