How the James Webb Space Telescope is Transforming Astronomy

Since the first public release of images obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope in July 2022, this observatory has been pushing the current state of knowledge from the farthest reaches of the Universe to some of the closest objects we can observe in the Solar System. The detection of the first galaxies after the Big Bang was the driver for the massive space telescope - and although that goal remains the quest of many astronomers, JWST has also contributed to new understandings about extrasolar planets, star formation and evolution, and phenomena much closer to home.

We are now seeing the Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Solar System in a whole new light! This presentation will highlight some of the spectacular discoveries already being made with JWST in its first year of science.

Speaker: Stefanie Milam, JWST Deputy Project Scientist for Planetary Science