Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope has done it again, delivering awe-inspiring images of our planetary neighbours.

This weekend it had the gas giant Saturn in its sights – and it really is some sight.

Taken using the satellite’s near-infrared camera (NIRCam) instrument, the images show Saturn as viewed through a variety of filters. These exclude specific wavelengths of light, highlighting particular features and dimming others. 

For instance, in the top image the planet itself is almost invisible, inky black against the space around it, while the rings glow luminously.

In the image below, the rings glow even brighter, but the planet itself is clearer, with some of its bands visible.

In the third image, the entire planet and its rings are a great ball of light – but more stars and some of its many moons can also be seen.

There is some debate over just how many moons are orbiting Saturn, but as of June 8, Nasa had counted 146. Another image, in which the planet is moved to the wings, shows some of these as brightly glowing orbs.

Saturn has fascinated stargazers for millennia – even more so since Galileo Galilei first discovered the planet’s mysterious rings. 

More recently, astronomers have discovered its most famous features are disappearing, slowly falling into the planet itself. No one knows how long they have left.

Earlier this month, Nasa’s now-retired Cassini probe found the last of six elements essential for life on its icy moon Enceladus.

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