CINXE.COM

<!doctype html> <html> <head> <title>Astronomy Picture of the Day </title>  <meta name="orgcode" content="661"> <meta name="rno" content="amber.n.straughn"> <meta name="content-owner" content="Jerry.T.Bonnell.1"> <meta name="webmaster" content="Stephen.F.Fantasia.1"> <meta name="description" content="A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.">  <meta name=viewport content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="keywords" content="Jupiter, ring, JWST">  <script id="_fed_an_ua_tag" src="//dap.digitalgov.gov/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=NASA"> </script> </head> <body BGCOLOR="#F4F4FF" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" vlink="#7F0F9F" alink="#FF0000"> <center> <h1> Astronomy Picture of the Day </h1> <a href="archivepix.html">Discover the cosmos!</a> Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 April 2 <a href="image/2503/JupiterRing_WebbSchmidt_2429.jpg" onMouseOver="if (document.images) document.imagename1.src='image/2503/JupiterRing_WebbSchmidt_1080_ann.jpg';" onMouseOut="if (document.images) document.imagename1.src='image/2503/JupiterRing_WebbSchmidt_1080.jpg';"> <IMG SRC="image/2503/JupiterRing_WebbSchmidt_1080.jpg" name=imagename1 alt="The featured image shows Jupiter in infrared light as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Visible are clouds, the Great Red Spot -- appearing light in color -- and a prominent ring around the giant planet. Please see the explanation for more detailed information." style="max-width:100%"></a> </center> <center> Jupiter and Ring in Infrared from Webb Image Credit: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, <a href="https://www.esa.int/">ESA</a>, <a href="https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/">CSA</a>, <a href="https://www.stsci.edu/">STScI</a>; Processing & <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">License:</a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/" >Judy Schmidt</a> </center> Explanation: Why does Jupiter have rings? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Jupiter#Main_ring" >Jupiter's main ring</a> was discovered in 1979 by NASA's passing <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/">Voyager</a> 1 spacecraft, but its origin was then a mystery. Data from NASA's <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/galileo/" >Galileo</a> spacecraft that orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003, however, confirmed the hypothesis that <a href="ap120617.html">this ring</a> was created by meteoroid impacts on small nearby moons. As a small meteoroid strikes tiny <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia02531-best-images-yet-of-thebe-amalthea-and-metis/" >Metis</a>, for example, it will bore into the moon, vaporize, and explode dirt and dust off into a <a href="ap180221.html">Jovian</a> orbit. The <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/52219195378/" >featured image</a> of Jupiter in <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves" >infrared light</a> by the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/">James Webb Space Telescope</a> shows not only <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/07/14/webb-images-of-jupiter-and-more-now-available-in-commissioning-data/">Jupiter and its clouds</a>, but this ring as well. Jupiter's <a href="ap201019.html">Great Red Spot</a> (GRS) -- in comparatively light color on the right, Jupiter's large moon <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-moons/europa/">Europa</a> -- in the center of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction_spike" >diffraction spikes</a> on the left, and <a href="ap220717.html">Europa's shadow</a> -- next to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Red_Spot">GRS</a> -- are also visible. Several features in the image are <a href="https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/surprised-cat-picture-id154887818?k=20&m=154887818&s=612x612&w=0&h=hChPEVbyuR9J9ASBnZ0LX0RBnUuVEcBAjqKB2o3Gx-E=" >not yet well understood</a>, including the <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceGeck/status/1547855880061722624" >seemingly separated</a> cloud layer on Jupiter's right limb. <center> Celestial Surprise: <a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html" >What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?</a> (post 1995) Tomorrow's picture: open space <hr> <a href="ap250401.html"><</a> | <a href="archivepix.html">Archive</a> | <a href="lib/apsubmit2015.html">Submissions</a> | <a href="lib/aptree.html">Index</a> | <a href="https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search">Search</a> | <a href="calendar/allyears.html">Calendar</a> | <a href="https://apod.com/feed.rss">RSS</a> | <a href="lib/edlinks.html">Education</a> | <a href="lib/about_apod.html">About APOD</a> | <a href= "https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250402">Discuss</a> | <a href="ap250403.html">></a> <hr> Authors & editors: <a href="http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html">Robert Nemiroff</a> (<a href="http://www.phy.mtu.edu/">MTU</a>) & <a href="https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html" >Jerry Bonnell</a> (<a href="http://www.astro.umd.edu/">UMCP</a>) NASA Official: Amber Straughn <a href="lib/about_apod.html#srapply">Specific rights apply</a>. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html">NASA Web Privacy</a>, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/">Accessibility</a>, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/">Notices</a>; A service of: <a href="https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/">ASD</a> at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> / <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/">GSFC</a>, <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/learners">NASA Science Activation</a> & <a href="http://www.mtu.edu/">Michigan Tech. U.</a> </center> </body> </html>