The James Webb Space Telescope is the most advanced telescope that has come before. It's showing us the universe closer to home, and now it's looking at Mars.
The images give us information about the red planet that we wouldn't be able to see on our own.
A lot of that information is about the temperature of Mars, but there are a few other tidbits that scientists can use to better understand a planet so similar to our own.
The view is absolutely amazing.
It's difficult for JWST to see something close to home. The most powerful telescope ever launched into space is designed to detect dim light from distant objects. Mars is similar to a furnace.
Scientists had to use techniques to compensate for the oversaturation that would result from this brightness. Data analysis was adjusted due to the short time of the exposures.
A map of the side of Mars was seen by the telescope in two different wavelength of light. The image is dominated by sunlight reflecting off the surface of Mars, so what we see is very similar to what we would see in optical wavelength.
The image is dominated by thermal radiation from the atmosphere of the planet, where the Sun is close to the planet. The planetary atmosphere is usually warm here.
There are other sources of light at this wavelength. There is a feature on the surface of Mars that produces a dark smudge in this wavelength. One of the largest craters on Mars is called Hellas Planitia.
The atmosphere on Mars is mostly carbon dioxide. The atmosphere is thicker over the Hellas Planitia, so it has an effect in theIR.
The astronomer who designed the observations says that the thermal effect at Hellas is not true.
The Hellas Basin experiences higher air pressure due to being a lower altitude. Pressure broadening causes a suppression of the thermal emission at this wavelength range. There are competing effects in the data.
He is talking about the near-infrared spectrum of Mars, which shows a more detailed breakdown of the planet's atmosphere and surface, as specific wavelength are amplified by specific molecule absorption.
Scientists have been able to identify some gasses in the Martian atmosphere.
We don't know what the new data reveals until the team publishes their findings in a paper, which is currently being worked on. We are excited to learn what new information the amazing telescope can reveal about a well-studied planet.
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