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. 2024 September 6 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Ringed Ice Giant Neptune Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]STScI, [7]NIRCam Explanation: [8]Ringed ice giant Neptune lies near the center of this sharp near-infrared image from the [9]James Webb Space Telescope. The dim and distant world is the [10]farthest planet from the Sun, about 30 times farther away than planet Earth. But in the stunning Webb view, the planet's dark and ghostly appearance is due to atmospheric methane that absorbs infrared light. High altitude clouds that reach above most of Neptune's absorbing methane easily stand out in the image though. Coated with frozen nitrogen, Neptune's largest moon Triton is brighter than Neptune in reflected sunlight, seen at the upper left sporting the Webb telescope's characteristic [11]diffraction spikes. Including Triton, seven of Neptune's 14 known moons can be [12]identified in the field of view. [13]Neptune's faint rings are striking in this space-based [14]planetary portrait. Details of the complex ring system are seen here for the first time since Neptune was visited by the [15]Voyager 2 spacecraft in August 1989. Tomorrow's picture: terrorizing Mars __________________________________________________________________ [16]< | [17]Archive | [18]Submissions | [19]Index | [20]Search | [21]Calendar | [22]RSS | [23]Education | [24]About APOD | [25]Discuss | [26]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell ([30]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [31]Specific rights apply. [32]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC, [36]NASA Science Activation & [37]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2409/NeptuneTriton_webb1059.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://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/01FA0SZSEW1TZ51BHG0EGW2EZP 8. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2022/news-2022-046 9. https://webbtelescope.org/ 10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/neptune/overview/ 11. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/01G529MX46J7AFK61GAMSHKSSN 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2209/NeptuneTriton_webb1059label.png 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Neptune 14. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/all-eyes-on-the-ice-giants 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140515.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240905.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 25. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240906 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240907.html 27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 33. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 36. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 37. http://www.mtu.edu/