Rutgers University Astrophysics Colloquium
NASA's New Space Telescope Powerhouse - JWST
JWST, the most powerful and complex telescope ever designed for space, was just successfully launched and deployed by NASA after 30 years in development. JWST is, in part, a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, but is unique in its infrared wavelength coverage, high resolution, unmatched sensitivity, and the advanced suite of instruments it carries. JWST's mission is broad: its science goals range from exploring the first galaxies in the distant universe to looking for bio-signatures in the atmospheres of extra-solar planets. The astronomy community awaited the launch with bated breath, and our excitement over the successful deployment and upcoming first wave of data cannot be overstated. Here at Rutgers, the astronomy group is heavily involved with several observing programs on JWST that were awarded via a competitive, peer-review ranking process. In this talk, I will show the launch and deployment sequence of JWST, discuss the overall science objectives of the new telescope, and showcase the JWST programs to be performed in our department.