Podcast: How will James Webb Space Telescope reveal the secrets of the Solar System?

JWST is shining its infrared light on the worlds of our own cosmic backyard.

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Published: October 20, 2022 at 9:57 am

It seems that every week we receive a brand new image of the cosmos captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Among the astronomical treasures photographed by JWST so far, we've seen nebulae, deep fields, binary star systems and planets.

Indeed, the planets of the Solar System are among the most mesmerising of the latest James Webb Space Telescope images.

Perhaps it's because many of us are familiar with these targets already, so seeing them in Webb's infrared view is all the more special.

For our latest episode of the Radio Astronomy podcast, we spoke to University of Leicester planetary scientist Prof Leigh Fletcher about the James Webb Space Telescope, why it observes in infrared, what it has revealed about the planets of the Solar System so far, and what's yet to come.

This video was recorded at the International Astronomy Show 2022. Find out more about Leigh's work by following @LeighFletcher on Twitter.

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