Colloquium by Stephanie Milam, Goddard
In late 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched into space on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. JWST has unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution and is now the premier space-based facility for near- and mid-infrared (0.6-28.5 μm) astronomy. The 6.5-meter telescope is equipped with four state-of-the-art instruments which include imaging, spectroscopy, and coronagraphy modes. These instruments are already returning amazing spectra and images of distant galaxies, star-forming regions, and planets in and out of the solar system. JWST's spectroscopic capabilities have already provided details of the composition of star forming regions, evolved stars, and planetary atmospheres that have not been measured previously. The complementary nature of this observatory with other high resolution imaging facilities (e.g., ALMA) will help us further our understanding of molecular heritage throughout the stellar lifecycle. We are entering the next era of Astrochemistry with JWST as we start to disentangle the complex molecular processes in the solar system, throughout the galaxy, and beyond. This presentation will highlight the some of the first Astrochemistry results with JWST and the capabilities it has to offer for this field of study.
Followed by wine and cheese.
Host: Jane Huang