Rare View of Neptune's Rings (close up)

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) image of Neptune, taken July of 2022, brings the planet’s rings into full focus for the first time in more than three decades. The most prominent features of Neptune’s atmosphere in this image are a series of bright patches in the planet’s southern hemisphere that represent high-altitude methane-ice clouds. More subtly, a thin line of brightness circling the planet’s equator could be a visual signature of global atmospheric circulation that powers Neptune’s winds and storms. Neptune has 14 known satellites, six of which are visible in this image.