Event
Exploring the Hidden Universe with the James Webb Space telescope
Fee:
Free.Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
Description
Join guest speaker, Dr. Alex Lockwood of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and rangers for night of discovery and stargazing.
NASA’s next great observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, will complement the Hubble Space Telescope but see things in a whole new light: infrared light that is! This HUGE (21 foot) telescope will unfold in space and take pictures of distant planets, stars, nebulae, and galaxies, to give us a more complete picture of how our universe works. We will witness stars being born and see some of the earliest things created in the universe. Dr. Lockwood will talk about this telescope, its amazing engineering, and the incredible scientific discoveries it will bring to humanity.
Southeastern Utah has particularly dark night skies, thanks to the distance from major metropolitan areas. Rangers from Arches and Canyonlands national parks will join forces—and telescopes—to offer visitors a chance to experience "the park after dark." A short constellation tour will be followed by telescope viewing.
Meet at Arches National Park. Check at the visitor center for time and location. Bring a chair, water, a red flashlight (if you have one), and warm clothes.
Programs will be changed or canceled in the event of bad weather.
About the speaker: Dr. Alex Lockwood
Dr. Lockwood is the science communications lead for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Her background in astrophysics and her passion for people enable her to engage the public with amazing stories of the incredible science and technology of NASA’s missions. Her previous science communications roles included supporting the NOAA/NASA Joint Polar Satellite System program as well as leading efforts for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. She received her PhD in Planetary Sciences from Caltech and her BS in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Maryland. Alex has starred in two movies based on the webcomic, PhD Comics, and enjoys hiking, yoga, and spending time with loved ones.
More information
Reservation or Registration: No
Image Gallery
Courtesy NASA
NASA
NASA
NPS