Development of JWST for Planets, Distant Galaxies, and Everything in Between
When
May 5, 2026, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m.
Where
Kuiper 308 and Zoom
Dr. Marcia Rieke
Regents Professor
Astronomy
University of Arizona
How key performance requirements for the James Webb Space Telescope were chosen and what science to declare as essential for the mission will be described. The checkout of instruments and the telescope after launch revealed that the mission performance exceeded expectations. Results from several science areas including exoplanets and distant galaxies will be described. JWST's exquisite spectroscopic capabilities enable both searches for molecules in exoplanet atmospheres, star-forming clouds, and production of elements in galaxies observed at ages of less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
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