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.

                                2025 April 2
    [2]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.

                   Jupiter and Ring in Infrared from Webb
        Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]STScI; Processing &
                         [7]License: [8]Judy Schmidt

   Explanation: Why does Jupiter have rings? [9]Jupiter's main ring was
   discovered in 1979 by NASA's passing [10]Voyager 1 spacecraft, but its
   origin was then a mystery. Data from NASA's [11]Galileo spacecraft that
   orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003, however, confirmed the hypothesis
   that [12]this ring was created by meteoroid impacts on small nearby
   moons. As a small meteoroid strikes tiny [13]Metis, for example, it
   will bore into the moon, vaporize, and explode dirt and dust off into a
   [14]Jovian orbit. The [15]featured image of Jupiter in [16]infrared
   light by the [17]James Webb Space Telescope shows not only [18]Jupiter
   and its clouds, but this ring as well. Jupiter's [19]Great Red Spot
   (GRS) -- in comparatively light color on the right, Jupiter's large
   moon [20]Europa -- in the center of [21]diffraction spikes on the left,
   and [22]Europa's shadow -- next to the [23]GRS -- are also visible.
   Several features in the image are [24]not yet well understood,
   including the [25]seemingly separated cloud layer on Jupiter's right
   limb.

   Celestial Surprise: [26]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                 (post 1995)
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [38]Robert Nemiroff ([39]MTU) & [40]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([41]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [42]Specific rights apply.
            [43]NASA Web Privacy, [44]Accessibility, [45]Notices;
                A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC,
                         [49]NASA Science Activation
                           & [50]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2503/JupiterRing_WebbSchmidt_2429.jpg
   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://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
   8. https://www.flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Jupiter#Main_ring
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/galileo/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120617.html
  13. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia02531-best-images-yet-of-thebe-amalthea-and-metis/
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180221.html
  15. https://www.flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/52219195378/
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves
  17. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
  18. https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/07/14/webb-images-of-jupiter-and-more-now-available-in-commissioning-data/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201019.html
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-moons/europa/
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction_spike
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220717.html
  23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Red_Spot
  24. https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/surprised-cat-picture-id154887818?k=20&m=154887818&s=612x612&w=0&h=hChPEVbyuR9J9ASBnZ0LX0RBnUuVEcBAjqKB2o3Gx-E=
  25. https://twitter.com/SpaceGeck/status/1547855880061722624
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250401.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  33. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  36. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250402
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250403.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  39. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  40. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  41. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  46. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  49. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  50. http://www.mtu.edu/