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. 2026 January 18 [2]The featured image shows Jupiter in infrared light as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Visible in unusually dark colors are Jupiter's clouds including the Great Red Spot, a ring, several moons, and bright aurora. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Jupiter from the Webb Space Telescope Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]Jupiter ERS Team; Processing: [7]Ricardo Hueso ([8]UPV/EHU) & [9]Judy Schmidt Explanation: This infrared view of Jupiter by Webb is illuminating. High-resolution [10]infrared images of [11]Jupiter from the [12]James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) reveal, for example, differences between high-floating bright clouds -- including the [13]Great Red Spot -- and low-lying dark clouds. Also clearly visible in the [14]featured Webb image are [15]Jupiter's dust ring, bright [16]auroras at the poles, and Jupiter's moons [17]Amalthea and [18]Adrastea. The footprint of large volcanic moon [19]Io's magnetic funneling of charged particles onto [20]Jupiter is also visible in the southern aurora. Some objects are so bright that light noticeably [21]diffracts around [22]Webb's optics creating [23]streaks. Webb, which [24]orbits the Sun near the Earth, has a mirror over six meters across making it the [25]largest astronomical telescope [26]ever launched -- with over six times [27]more light-collecting area than [28]Hubble. Tomorrow's picture: interstellar garlic __________________________________________________________________ [29]< | [30]Archive | [31]Submissions | [32]Index | [33]Search | [34]Calendar | [35]RSS | [36]Education | [37]About APOD | [38]Discuss | [39]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [40]Robert Nemiroff ([41]MTU) & [42]Jerry Bonnell ([43]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [44]Specific rights apply. [45]NASA Web Privacy, [46]Accessibility, [47]Notices; A service of: [48]ASD at [49]NASA / [50]GSFC, [51]NASA Science Activation & [52]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2601/Jupiter2_WebbSchmidt_3283_annotated.png 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://www.esa.int/ 5. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/ 6. https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/approved-programs/dd-ers/program-1373 7. https://www.ehu.eus/es/web/doktoregoa/doctorado-fisica/profesorado?p_redirect=fichaPDI&p_idp=195381 8. https://www.ehu.eus/es/home 9. https://www.flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/ 10. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves 11. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-facts/ 12. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/james-webb-space-telescope/en/ 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Red_Spot 14. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31191 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220720.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001219.html 17. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-moons/amalthea/ 18. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/adrastea/in-depth.amp 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140330.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220828.html 21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction_spike 22. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/optical-telescope-element-ote/ 23. https://science.nasa.gov/asset/webb/webbs-diffraction-spikes/ 24. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/orbit/ 25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_optical_reflecting_telescopes 26. https://as2.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/01/89/49/89/1000_F_189498933_OeutsN0mMlzJGaJZJvkXIsoSCUCFIO7W.jpg 27. https://youtu.be/j3mk6tUokm4 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090525.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260117.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 35. https://apod.com/feed.rss 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 38. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260118 39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260119.html 40. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 41. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 42. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 43. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 44. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 45. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 46. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 47. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 48. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 49. https://www.nasa.gov/ 50. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 51. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 52. http://www.mtu.edu/