SETI Talks - JWST: Impressive First Science One Year After Launch - Livestream

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was successfully launched on December 25, 2021. Following the commissioning of the telescope and its instruments, the first science observations started in late June. On July 12, 2022, the world saw its spectacular first images. From December 12-14, astronomers from around the world will gather at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, USA (STScI), the science and operations center for JWST, for a science conference to highlight the first scientific results from NASA’s newest Great Observatory.

To discuss the impressive results in four science themes: the Early Universe, Galaxy Assembly, Stellar and Planetary Lifecycles, and Other Worlds, SETI Institute Senior Astronomer Franck Marchis will be in Baltimore to moderate a special SETI Talk with two astronomers involved in JWST science and operations. Susan Mullally, STScI, is an astronomical time series data expert and has used these skills to study the population of exoplanets, variable stars and binary stars. Mullaly works to ensure the scientific productivity of  NASA’s space telescopes. Chris Evans, head of the European Space Agency (ESA) office at STScI, serves as ESA project scientist for Hubble and Webb guest observers.

What is the status of the JWST and its instruments? Did astronomers spot the end of the Dark Ages with recent NIRCam and NIRSpec observations? What did we learn about the atmospheres of directly imaged exoplanets and from the transits of Trappist-1 exoplanets? What do astronomers expect to see next with this extraordinary facility? We will address these questions during this discussion, as well as questions from the audience.

Register at weblink to attend.