<p>That is <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/new-webb-image-captures-clearest-view-of-neptune-s-rings-in-decades" rel="noreferrer">Triton, Neptune's moon</a>.  The colours are false, since the JWST is an infrared telescope.  Triton is an unusual object and probably didn't form with Neptune. Instead, it is likely a captured Kuiper belt object. It has a similar appearance to Pluto.</p>
<p>Also, the caption of the image states it clearly:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What do we see in Webb's latest image of the ice giant Neptune? Webb captured seven of Neptune’s 14 known moons: Galatea, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Proteus, Larissa, and Triton. <strong>Neptune’s large and unusual moon, Triton, dominates this Webb portrait of Neptune as a very bright point of light sporting the signature diffraction spikes seen in many of Webb’s images.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Triton looks much brighter than Neptune because the methane that Neptune is made of strongly absorbs infrared light. <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.03568" rel="noreferrer">The mid-IR albedo of gassy Neptune is only circa 1%</a> (ie, Neptune is as black as coal in the infrared) <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.825.1903&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf" rel="noreferrer">From The emissivity of volatile ices on Triton and Pluto</a> it seems like icy Tridon's mid-IR albedo is probably like 50% (ie as grey as new concrete).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-24T14:31:23.953Z
Oh wait shoot I didn't drag the green line all the way. whoops! Should this question be deleted then since it's obvious? Thanks for the answer though!
DialFrost
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-24T16:08:21.240Z
I would say leave it. The image is getting quite a lot of visibility in the media so I think you are far from being the only person wondering what the "funny object" is; especially since JWST's point spread function for very bright objects looks so different from "normal" diffraction spikes due to the mirror segments and the three supports for the secondary mirrors
astrosnapper
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T10:49:12.540Z
Do you know why it looks so much brighter than Neptune itself?
seldon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T10:56:14.933Z
Neptune is made of lots of Methane, which is very dark in infrared, and so reflects very little of the sun's light.  This makes the high clouds on Neptune stand out. Neptune looks dark because it *is* dark, at these wavelengths.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T11:05:29.153Z
@JamesK holy granola! The [mid-IR albedo of gassy Neptune is only circa 1%](https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.03568) From [The emissivity of volatile ices on Triton and Pluto](https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.825.1903&rep=rep1&type=pdf) it seems like icy Tridon's mid-IR albedo is probably like 50%!
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T23:46:46.270Z
I expect that if Webb had been *set up* to take a picture of Triton rather than of Neptune, with appropriate exposure time and stuff, it wouldn't look nearly as odd.
zwol
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-26T00:18:44.283Z
@zwol that's an interesting point! We're looking at an image processed for general public consumption and to highlight Neptune and its rings for them. The raw data will probably be a series of CCD dumps that are timed to make sure the areas of interest are not saturated. If a nearby object gets saturated it can create CCD artifacts that are a real problem, so it is possible that they could also prepare an image from the raw data where Triton does not look overexposed and Neptune is a very very dark ghost. Or, they can do a "split-screen" image with different brightness adjustments for each.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-24T14:28:42.950Z
2022-09-25T11:12:55.213Z
2022-09-25T11:12:55.213Z
James K
<p>From <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/new-webb-image-captures-clearest-view-of-neptune-s-rings-in-decades" rel="noreferrer">NASA - New Webb Image captures clearest view of Neptune's rings in decades</a>:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/i1WUk.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/i1WUk.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Does anyone know what the bright blue on the left top corner of the picture is? It is a reflection of sorts or is it a star? If so what star?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-25T22:41:18.213Z
Now I want to know what is/are the object(s) on the far right of the image at about the same vertical position of Triton.  It looks almost like some kind of space craft with two puff of smoke trailing it... :-D
Michael
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-26T00:32:57.193Z
followup: [What are those blobs in each of the two bright rings of Neptune shown in the new JWST image?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/50565/7982)
uhoh
<identify-this-object><james-webb-space-telescope><neptune>
What is this bright blue object taken by the Webb telescope?
DialFrost
# What is this bright blue object taken by the Webb telescope?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-09-24)

From [NASA - New Webb Image captures clearest view of Neptune's rings in decades](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/new-webb-image-captures-clearest-view-of-neptune-s-rings-in-decades):
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/i1WUk.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/i1WUk.jpg)

Does anyone know what the bright blue on the left top corner of the picture is? It is a reflection of sorts or is it a star? If so what star?

**Tags:** identify-this-object, james-webb-space-telescope, neptune
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Now I want to know what is/are the object(s) on the far right of the image at about the same vertical position of Triton.  It looks almost like some kind of space craft with two puff of smoke trailing it... :-D  
> **username_2**: followup: [What are those blobs in each of the two bright rings of Neptune shown in the new JWST image?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/50565/7982)  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-09-24. Score: 17 | Accepted answer

That is [Triton, Neptune's moon](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/new-webb-image-captures-clearest-view-of-neptune-s-rings-in-decades). The colours are false, since the JWST is an infrared telescope. Triton is an unusual object and probably didn't form with Neptune. Instead, it is likely a captured Kuiper belt object. It has a similar appearance to Pluto.

Also, the caption of the image states it clearly:

> What do we see in Webb's latest image of the ice giant Neptune? Webb captured seven of Neptune’s 14 known moons: Galatea, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Proteus, Larissa, and Triton. **Neptune’s large and unusual moon, Triton, dominates this Webb portrait of Neptune as a very bright point of light sporting the signature diffraction spikes seen in many of Webb’s images.**

Triton looks much brighter than Neptune because the methane that Neptune is made of strongly absorbs infrared light. [The mid-IR albedo of gassy Neptune is only circa 1%](https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.03568) (ie, Neptune is as black as coal in the infrared) [From The emissivity of volatile ices on Triton and Pluto](https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.825.1903&rep=rep1&type=pdf) it seems like icy Tridon's mid-IR albedo is probably like 50% (ie as grey as new concrete).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Oh wait shoot I didn't drag the green line all the way. whoops! Should this question be deleted then since it's obvious? Thanks for the answer though!  
> **username_4**: I would say leave it. The image is getting quite a lot of visibility in the media so I think you are far from being the only person wondering what the "funny object" is; especially since JWST's point spread function for very bright objects looks so different from "normal" diffraction spikes due to the mirror segments and the three supports for the secondary mirrors  
> **username_5**: Do you know why it looks so much brighter than Neptune itself?  
> **username_3**: Neptune is made of lots of Methane, which is very dark in infrared, and so reflects very little of the sun's light.  This makes the high clouds on Neptune stand out. Neptune looks dark because it *is* dark, at these wavelengths.  
> **username_2**: @JamesK holy granola! The [mid-IR albedo of gassy Neptune is only circa 1%](https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.03568) From [The emissivity of volatile ices on Triton and Pluto](https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.825.1903&rep=rep1&type=pdf) it seems like icy Tridon's mid-IR albedo is probably like 50%!  
> **username_6**: I expect that if Webb had been *set up* to take a picture of Triton rather than of Neptune, with appropriate exposure time and stuff, it wouldn't look nearly as odd.  
> **username_2**: @zwol that's an interesting point! We're looking at an image processed for general public consumption and to highlight Neptune and its rings for them. The raw data will probably be a series of CCD dumps that are timed to make sure the areas of interest are not saturated. If a nearby object gets saturated it can create CCD artifacts that are a real problem, so it is possible that they could also prepare an image from the raw data where Triton does not look overexposed and Neptune is a very very dark ghost. Or, they can do a "split-screen" image with different brightness adjustments for each.  

---

