NASA's Webb Space Telescope has captured the first-ever image of Neptune with its rings clearly visible.

(Picture taken from NASA)

[Compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] NASA announced on the 21st that the first image of Neptune was captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, capturing the clearest Neptune ring system in decades. Let scientists observe the ice giant star in detail for the first time from a new perspective.

NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft flew by and observed Neptune in 1989, and Neptune's rings have not been fully detected for 33 years.

In the images captured by the Webb Space Telescope this time, Neptune's narrow halo is the most eye-catching bright spot. Against the dark background, Neptune is suspended like a pearl, making the surrounding concentric elliptical rings particularly obvious.

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Webb also captured 7 of the 14 known satellites of Neptune. As can be seen from the photo, the particularly bright one in the upper left corner is "Triton", because the entire satellite is covered with frozen solid nitrogen, reflecting 70 % sunlight makes it look extra bright in telescopes, while the other six moons, Despina, Proteus, Larissa, Thalassa, Naiad, Galatea, appear to orbit Neptune.

Because of Neptune's 164-year orbit, astronomers can't see its north pole, but the light there appears to be mysterious in the pictures taken by the Webb telescope.

Previously known South Pole vortices are within Webb's observations, but this is the first time Webb has revealed that the South Pole Vortex is surrounded by a continuous high-latitude cloud band.

Neptune is classified as an ice giant due to the chemical composition of its interior.

Compared to the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune contains more elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.

Neptune appears blue in visible light images from the Hubble Space Telescope, caused by small amounts of gaseous methane.

The Webb telescope's photos of Neptune are all. The bright star in the upper left corner is "Triton", which reflects 70% of the sunlight, making it appear large and bright in the telescope.

(Picture taken from NASA)