Giant Planet Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope

TL;DR

This paper discusses how the James Webb Space Telescope will significantly enhance the study of the Solar System's giant planets through high-quality infrared imaging and spectroscopy, enabling new scientific discoveries.

Contribution

It provides an overview of JWST's capabilities for giant planet observations and outlines specific scientific investigations and operational considerations for future research.

Findings

Enhanced infrared imaging and spectroscopy of giant planets.

Potential for new insights into planetary atmospheres and compositions.

Guidelines for pre-launch testing and operational strategies.

Abstract

This white paper examines the benefit of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope for studies of the Solar System's four giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. JWST's superior sensitivity, combined with high spatial and spectral resolution, will enable near- and mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of these objects with unprecedented quality. In this paper we discuss some of the myriad scientific investigations possible with JWST regarding the giant planets. This discussion is preceded by the specifics of JWST instrumentation most relevant to giant planet observations. We conclude with identification of desired pre-launch testing and operational aspects of JWST that would greatly benefit future studies of the giant planets.