The James Webb Space Telescope Is Going to Stare Straight Into Jupiter

After launching late last year, NASA's revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope is finally getting ready to fixate its numerous golden mirrors on distant targets.

One of its 13 early targets isn't so far away in the grand scheme of things. Jupiter is a gas giant in our own star system. We already know a lot about the planet, so why investigate it using the JWST if it can see more distant objects?

Imke de Pater is a Berkeley astronomer who has observed the planet with Hubble and many ground-based telescopes.

You always need more data when you learn more because there are things you don't yet understand.

We don't know how much of the gas giant's atmosphere is covered in storms. The planet's Great Red Spot is so large that you could fit the Earth in the area it takes up.

We will be looking for signatures of any chemical compounds that are unique to the Great Red Spot.

The mystery of that red color may remain unresolved if we don't see any unexpected chemistry or aerosol signatures.

The only moon that has its own magnetosphere is Jupiter's Io and Ganymede.

The space telescope is a good choice for the job.

The Earth's atmosphere is so turbulent that we can't see it from the ground.

The JSWT is busy aligning its mirrors, but soon it will be prime time.

In the first year of science operations, we expect to see new chapters in the history of our origins, including the formation of stars and planets.

To adjust to its surroundings in deep space, the observatory will have to be cooled to about 15Kelvin.

Astronomers are excited about what it will be able to see once it is ready.

The imager promises to reveal targets far beyond what we have seen before, with a clarity and sensitivity far beyond what we have seen before.

Jupiter is close to the JWST, so it should be a child's play.

One of the first targets is Jupiter. Here's why.

NASA is keeping the James Webb Telescope's first target secret.

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