NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MARYLAND (NHSM) has joined almost 500 sites across the country to celebrate the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s next great space science observatory. NHSM will offer a range of public programs beginning October 28 and running through December. For a full schedule of NHSM public programs and events, see table below.
Webb is the largest and most complex space science telescope ever built – the premier observatory of the next decade. This international mission, led by NASA in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies, will launch in December 2021.
The observatory will provide a new view of the cosmos and push the field of astronomy into a new era. The telescope will observe the universe in the infrared, peering inside dust clouds to study light from distant parts of the universe for the very first time – the first galaxies that formed about 13.5 billion years ago – and give us insight into how our universe formed. It will also explore distant worlds in other solar systems, as well as objects in our own solar system. Webb will extend the scientific discoveries of other NASA missions like the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.
To learn more about the Webb telescope, visit webb.nasa.gov. For information about other Webb community event locations, visit webb.nasa.gov/content/features/celebrateWebb.html
James Webb-themed Events
| October 28 | History of the Telescope |
| November 4 | More than Meets the Eye – Seeing in Infrared |
| November 11 | Exoplanets |
| November 18 | The Birth of Stars and Planets |
| December 7 | Galaxy Evolution |
| December 11 | DIY Planet Search |
Telescopes are our eyes into the universe. What do you hope to see with these new eyes? What questions do you hope Webb will help answer? What does space mean to you? Write your notes to the Webb Telescope and be part of this historic initiative. Share your Love Letter to James Webb!
More James Webb Resources
