Thursday, August 25, 2022

Have you heard about the new James Webb Space Telescope, but don’t know what it is or why it’s important?

Discover why NASA is so excited about the new space telescope on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. in the McLane Room.

NASA Solar System Ambassador Joseph Slezak will offer insight into the telescope that has recorded some of the most incredible images of deep space ever released. 

The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope designed primarily to conduct infrared astronomy. As the largest optical telescope in space, its greatly improved infrared resolution and sensitivity allows it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope.

Slezak will compare the Webb and Hubble telescopes, and discuss other telescopes currently in space and around the world. He will explain the difference between what an optical telescope sees versus what a radio telescope sees, and explain how telescopes work in general. Other topics will include star charts, constellations, and an update on the Artemis-1 moon mission.