NIRCam Archives - Page 6 of 6 - Astrobiology

The NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s reveals a portion of the Milky Way’s dense core in a new light. An estimated 500,000 stars shine in this image of the Sagittarius C (Sgr C) region, along with some as-yet unidentified features. A large region of ionized hydrogen, shown in cyan, contains intriguing needle-like structures that lack any uniform orientation. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and S. Crowe (University of Virginia). Download full resolution images for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures

Webb’s View Of The Galactic Center. 500,000+ Stars. How Many Have Life-bearing Worlds?

by Keith CowingNovember 26, 2023November 26, 2023

The latest image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows a portion of the dense center of our galaxy in unprecedented detail, including never-before-seen features astronomers have yet to explain. […]

An artist’s rendering of the warm exoplanet WASP-80 b whose color may appear bluish to human eyes due to the lack of high-altitude clouds and the presence of atmospheric methane identified by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, similar to the planets Uranus and Neptune in our own solar system. Image credit: NASA.

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release

Methane And Water Found In The Atmosphere Of Exoplanet WASP-80 b

by Keith CowingNovember 22, 2023November 22, 2023

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b as it passed in front of and behind its host star, revealing spectra indicative of an atmosphere containing methane gas […]

Starlight-subtracted and roll-combined final JWST/NIRCam images of AU Mic in both F356W (top) and F444W (bottom). The images have been oriented such that the assumed disk major axis is parallel to the x-axis. To highlight the relative brightness of the disk at F356W, the images are displayed with the same linear color stretch. Both images have been smoothed with a σ = 0.5 pixel gaussian for presentation, and are displayed within a 10′′ × 3. ′′5 FOV. The approximate coronagraphic inner working angle is indicated by the dashed black circle, while the approximate position of the occulted star is marked with a white star symbol. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

JWST/NIRCam Coronagraphy of the Young Planet-hosting Debris Disk AU Microscopii

by Keith CowingAugust 8, 2023August 8, 2023

High-contrast imaging of debris disk systems permits us to assess the composition and size distribution of circumstellar dust, to probe recent dynamical histories, and to directly detect and characterize embedded […]

Side-by-side images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera on 4 November 2022, with clouds and other features visible. Left image is various shades of red. Right image is shades of white, blue, and brown. — ESA

Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Saturn, Titan

Webb Tracks Clouds On Saturn’s Moon Titan

by Keith CowingDecember 2, 2022April 14, 2024

These are images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument on 4 November 2022.

NIRCam

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Early Release Science Of The Exoplanet WASP-39b With JWST NIRCam

by Keith CowingNovember 21, 2022November 21, 2022

Measuring the metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio in exoplanet atmospheres is a fundamental step towards constraining the dominant chemical processes at work and, if in equilibrium, revealing planet formation histories.