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Temperature and Composition Disturbances in the Southern Auroral Region of Jupiter Revealed by JWST/MIRI
de Pater, Imke; Wong, Michael H.; Fletcher, Leigh N. +17 more
Jupiter's South Polar Region (SPR) was observed by James Webb Space Telescope/Mid-Infrared Instrument in December 2022. We used the Medium Resolution Spectrometer mode to provide new information about Jupiter's South Polar stratosphere. The southern auroral region was visible and influenced the atmosphere in several ways: (a) In the interior of th…
Water-Ice Dominated Spectra of Saturn's Rings and Small Moons From JWST
Fletcher, L. N.; Hedman, M. M.; Showalter, M. R. +11 more
JWST measured the infrared spectra of Saturn's rings and several of its small moons (Epimetheus, Pandora, Telesto, and Pallene) as part of Guaranteed Time Observation program 1247. The NIRSpec instrument obtained near-infrared spectra of the small moons between 0.6 and 5.3 microns, which are all dominated by water-ice absorption bands. The shapes …
The Thermal Structure and Composition of Jupiter's Great Red Spot From JWST/MIRI
de Pater, Imke; Wong, Michael H.; Fletcher, Leigh N. +15 more
Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) was mapped by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/Mid-Infrared Instrument (4.9-27.9 µm) in July and August 2022. These observations took place alongside a suite of visual and infrared observations from; Hubble, JWST/NIRCam, Very Large Telescope/VISIR and amateur observers which provided both spatial and tempo…
Saturn's Atmosphere in Northern Summer Revealed by JWST/MIRI
Fletcher, Leigh N.; Hedman, Matthew M.; Guerlet, Sandrine +8 more
Saturn's northern summertime hemisphere was mapped by JWST/Mid-Infrared Instrument (4.9-27.9 µm) in November 2022, tracing the seasonal evolution of temperatures, aerosols, and chemical species in the 5 years since the end of the Cassini mission. The spectral region between reflected sunlight and thermal emission (5.1-6.8 µm) is mapped for the fir…
An Energetic Eruption With Associated SO 1.707 Micron Emissions at Io's Kanehekili Fluctus and a Brightening Event at Loki Patera Observed by JWST
de Pater, Imke; Wong, Michael H.; Hedman, Matthew M. +24 more
We observed Io with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) while the satellite was in eclipse, and detected thermal emission from several volcanoes. The data were taken as part of our JWST-ERS program #1373 on 15 November 2022. Kanehekili Fluctus was exceptionally bright, and Loki Patera had most likely entered a new brightening phase. Spectra were…