Why do two space telescopes have to observe Saturn almost at the same time in order to reveal something that only one of them cannot? The answer to this question is now visible in the new series of NASA images that not only show the iconic image of the ringed planet but also show the layering of the planet. By using a combination of the capability of the Hubble telescope to observe the visible spectrum and the capability of the Webb telescope to observe the infrared spectrum, not only can scientists now observe the top layer of the clouds of the planet Saturn, but also the changes in the atmosphere, the storms, and the rings in response to the different wavelengths.
NASA has stated that the images it has taken are the most comprehensive view of Saturn to date. It is also noteworthy that the two images of the planet Saturn were taken almost at the same time, as the images by the Hubble telescope could show the banding and color changes on the planet’s surface, whereas the images by the Webb telescope could show the clouds and chemicals in the atmosphere at different depths. “Together, scientists can effectively ‘slice’ through Saturn’s atmosphere at multiple altitudes, like peeling back the layers of an onion.”
Some of the more interesting details are found inside the weather patterns of Saturn. These include a meandering northern jet stream that is known as the “ribbon wave,” storms found in the southern hemisphere of Saturn, and a small remnant of the Great Springtime Storm of 2010-2012. It is obvious that these are not found on the surface of a planet like one sees on Earth. They are more like a fluid motion and a series of wind patterns found on a planetary surface that is gigantic and has many different elements that interact in a way that is not possible on Earth. There is a detail that is related to time and is found near the pole of a planet.
Some of the edges of one of the more well-known hexagonal patterns found in the north polar region of Saturn are visible. It is obvious that one of the more unusual and fascinating phenomena in our solar system has been present for decades since it was first discovered by a satellite that passed by in 1981. However, it is possible that these photographs taken by the Webb Telescope are some of the last that will be taken in great detail until the 2040s, when the polar region of Saturn is about to enter a period of darkness. This is a great importance that is placed on the photographs that are taken by the Webb Telescope. They are not just more defined photographs of a planet. They are a closing window of a planetary phenomenon that can be seen.
The rings of the planet also provide a good example of the differences that exist in the images that are captured by the Webb Telescope and the images that are captured by the Hubble Telescope. While in the images that are captured by the Hubble Telescope, the rings of the planet are depicted as being bright and defined in the reflected light of the Sun, in the images that are captured by the Webb Telescope in the infrared, the icy rings are depicted as being even more luminous in the darkness of space, with the differences in the B ring and the F ring, which are further out in the system, being more easily discernible in the images captured by the Webb Telescope. Since these images have been captured 14 weeks apart, they also provide a view of the planet as it progresses toward its equinox in 2025, at which point the view of the planet and its rings will be affected by the position of the Sun and the Earth.
Perhaps the biggest lesson to be learned from all of this is the lesson of the season. While the Hubble Telescope’s OPAL program has been gathering a decade-plus history of the Saturnian atmosphere on a yearly basis, the Webb telescope is simply adding yet another layer to all of that. What we are seeing here is the reality of planetary science in the modern era, not in the old way of waiting for the next big thing, but in taking all of those factors and combining them into a single look at a planet that is still very much a mystery.