The James Webb Space Telescope - Transformative Science (Manne Siegbahn Memorial Lecture 2024)

by Prof. Gillian Wright

Thursday 24 Oct 2024, 15:15 → 16:15 Europe/Stockholm

The much awaited James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched on Christmas Day 2021. More than 20 years in development it defines the pinnacle of modern astronomical engineering achievement and a step change in observational capabilities. JWST is designed to peer across the universe, capturing images and data from the formation of the earliest galaxies to the atmospheres of planets, within and beyond our solar system.  The engineering challenges and development of the mission will be described, including the European participation and the collaboration that designed and built MIRI, one of the four key instruments.  After a flawless launch, the observatory is now used by the worldwide community, changing our understanding in many areas of astrophysics.  Exciting early discoveries from the formation of stars and planets to how galaxies form and evolve will be described, along with the wonderful images that are transforming our view of the universe.