NASA's Webb telescope captures first images, spectra of Mars

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first images and spectra of Mars, according to NASA.

Webb's infrared-sensitivity and location gives unique insight to short-term phenomena on Mars, like dust storms, weather, and seasonal changes, NASA said on Monday.

Webb's first images of Mars, captured by the Near-Infrared Camera, show a region of the planet's eastern hemisphere at two different wavelengths, said NASA.

Astronomers will analyze the features of the first near-infrared spectrum of Mars to gather additional information about the surface and atmosphere of the planet, according to NASA.

Webb is an international program led by NASA with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

Webb will find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe and peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems, NASA said.