Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 December 29 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Shakespeare in Space Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]STScI Explanation: In 1986, Voyager 2 became the only spacecraft to explore [7]ice giant planet Uranus close up. Still, this newly released image from the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on the James Webb Space Telescope offers a [8]detailed look at the distant world. The tilted outer planet rotates on its axis once in about 17 hours. Its north pole is presently pointed near our line of sight, offering direct views of its northern hemisphere and a faint but extensive system of rings. Of the giant planet's 27 known moons, 14 are [9]annotated in the image. The brighter ones show hints of Webb's characteristic [10]diffraction spikes. And though these worlds of the outer Solar System were unknown in [11]Shakespearean times, all but two of the 27 Uranian moons are [12]named for characters in the English Bard's plays. Tomorrow's picture: the cold and tired moon __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC, [33]NASA Science Activation & [34]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2312/STScI-UranusJWST.png 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://www.esa.int/ 5. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/ 6. https://www.stsci.edu/ 7. https://science.nasa.gov/uranus/ 8. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/150/01HHFNNWQTA69J6K680PVZN4A1 9. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/150/01HHFQ5BKDZNM2KAP22SZARN0S 10. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/01G529MX46J7AFK61GAMSHKSSN 11. https://www.folger.edu/podcasts/shakespeare-unlimited/shakespearean-moons-uranus/ 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990227.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231228.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231229 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231230.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/ 32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 34. http://www.mtu.edu/