Seeing the First LightThe James Webb Space Telescope

Amber N. StraughnLead Scientist for JWST E/PO

Paul GeithnerJWST Observatory Manager

jwst.nasa.gov

(JWST ‘Movie Trailer’ at jwst.nasa.gov/videos_general_3.html)

The Webb Telescope…why?

The Webb Telescope…why?BIG questions need a BIG telescope!

The Webb Telescope…why?BIG questions need a BIG telescope!

James Webb Space Telescope• Named for 2nd NASA Administrator• 6.6m Telescope• Launch in 2014 to L2• Successor to Hubble & Spitzer• 4 instruments - infrared• Complementary to future planned

ground-based telescope

• NASA + ESA + CSA: 15 countries• Lead: Goddard Space Flight Center• Prime: Northrop Grumman Space

Technology• Operations: STScI• Senior Project Scientist: Nobel

Laureate John Mather

What is “first light”?

Four Science Themes for the Webb telescope

Hubble Ultra Deep Field

…. to identify the first bright objects that formed in the early Universe, and follow the ionization history.

The End of the Dark Ages:The End of the Dark Ages:First Light and ReionizationFirst Light and Reionization

What’s wavelength got to do with it?

(JWST Science visualizations to be released Oct. 2010)

NGC 4676 (The Mice) by HST

… to determine how galaxies and dark matter, including gas, stars, metals, physical structures (like spiral arms) and active nuclei evolved to the present day.

The Assembly of GalaxiesThe Assembly of Galaxies

(JWST Science visualizations to be released Oct. 2010)

The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary SystemsThe Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems

David Hardy

… to unravel the birth and early development of stars and the formation of planets.

The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems

(JWST Science visualizations to be released Oct. 2010)

Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life

Robert Hurt

… to determine the physical and chemical properties of solar systems (including our own) and where the building blocks of life may be present.

We will answer these BIG science questions with the new James Webb Space Telescope…

but…

• How do we build it (hint: it’s already being built!)?• How do we launch it?• What’s it made of?• Where in space is it going?