Titan (Webb image - 11 July 2023)

These infrared-light images of Titan were taken by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope on 11 July 2023. They show methane clouds appearing at different altitudes in Titan’s northern hemisphere.

On the left side is a representative-colour image (1.4 microns is coloured blue, 1.5 microns is green, and 2.0 microns is red: filters F140M, F150W, and F200W, respectively).

In the middle is a single-wavelength image taken by Webb at 2.12 microns. This wavelength is predominantly emitted from Titan’s lower troposphere.

The rightmost image shows emission at 1.64 microns, which favours higher altitudes, in Titan’s upper troposphere and stratosphere (an atmospheric layer above the troposphere).

[Image description: A three-panel graphic showing infrared Webb images of Saturn’s moon Titan. The left image shows a mottled globe of brown and yellow with a hazy blue edge. The middle and right images show a dark orange globe with a brighter edge, particularly on the bottom]