""Both sense sunlight reflected from Saturn's banded clouds and hazes, but where Hubble reveals subtle color variations across the planet, Webb's infrared view senses clouds and chemicals at many different depths in the atmosphere, from the deep clouds to the tenuous upper atmosphere.""
""The different coloring in the Webb photo could be caused by a 'layer of high-altitude aerosols' scattering light across latitudes, or 'charged molecules interacting with the planet's magnetic field' and causing 'auroral activity.'""
""These 2024 observations, taken 14 weeks apart, show the planet moving from northern summer toward the 2025 equinox. As Saturn transitions into southern spring, and later southern summer in the 2030's, Hubble and Webb will have progressively better views of that hemisphere.""
The ESA, NASA, and CSA released new images of Saturn from the James Webb and Hubble telescopes, showcasing the gas giant's atmospheric layers. Hubble's images reveal color variations, while Webb's infrared view captures details at various atmospheric depths. Hubble tracks storms and atmospheric clouds, while Webb highlights reflective ice in Saturn's rings and color variations at the poles. The observations, taken 14 weeks apart, document Saturn's transition from northern summer to southern spring, providing valuable data for future studies.
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