Description:
Decades of eager anticipation turned to ecstasy for astronomers worldwide as the powerful new James Webb Space Telescope successfully launched on Christmas morning 2021. The observatory’s giant primary mirror – the largest ever deployed in orbit – was delicately folded to fit into the rocket, successfully deployed in space, and then aligned over a 4-month commissioning campaign. This talk shares the key technological innovations that enabled NASA to build this telescope, describes how the JWST Wavefront Science team focused the optics, and reviews the stunning science images astronomers are acquiring with this powerful new tool for astrophysics.
Additional Information:
In person and hybrid!
To join, visit the link below. NIST recommends you disconnect from the VPN for the best viewing experience.
https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/dfxwzpgr
Phone option: (415) 466-7000 PIN: 3484121 followed by # to confirm.
Closed captioning is available: will be added
If you’d like to join in person, please contact Rebecca Jacobson (Rebecca.jacobson@nist.gov). Additional information from Rebecca: “Folks are welcome to come hear the talk and meet Dr. Wirth in person. 😊 Our NIST badge holders can easily get on campus, and if non-NISTers would like to come, they are welcome. Have them email me and I will add them to our visitor registration. They will need to bring a valid photo ID such as driver’s license, state-issued ID or green card for our US permanent residents. (U.S. citizens and green card holders we can get registered on as short of notice as the day before.)”