Observing the Icy Moons of the Outer Solar System With the James Webb Space Telescope

Observing Outer Planet Satellites (except Titan) with JWST: Science Justification and Observational Requirements

Authors:

Keszthelyi et al

Abstract:

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will allow observations with a unique combination of spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution for the study of outer planet satellites within our Solar System. We highlight the infrared spectroscopy of icy moons and temporal changes on geologically active satellites as two particularly valuable avenues of scientific inquiry. While some care must be taken to avoid saturation issues, JWST has observation modes that should provide excellent infrared data for such studies.