The James Webb Space Telescope. Courtesy/NMMNHS
NMMNHS News:
If the photos of far-distant galaxies taken by the James Webb Space Telescope left you wanting more, head to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS) Saturday, Aug. 20 for a deeper look at the unique images, led by experts who assisted with the mission.
The Museum is hosting a special Space Science event Aug. 20 featuring experts from the University of New Mexico who participated in the mission itself. UNM professors Dr. Diana Dragomir, who works on the team of astronomers interpreting Webb’s images, and Tony Hull, who supervised the polishing of Webb’s mirrors, will both be at the Museum to describe how the space observatory functions and explain what has been learned from the information it’s collected so far. The event is included with Museum admission.
Dr. Dragomir is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UNM. Her research focuses on the demographics and atmospheres of exoplanets smaller than Neptune. She studies them with NASA’s TESS, Spitzer, Hubble, and now the Webb space telescopes, as well as with a variety of ground-based observatories.
Hull is an adjunct professor of Physics and Astronomy at UNM. He was previously the Webb telescope’s Program Manager for Optical Fabrication and Director of Large Optics at the L-3 Tinsley facility in Richmond, California.
The main event will be a presentation by Hull at 1 p.m., where he will share insights into Webb’s mission that you won’t be able to find anywhere else! Other events ha ppening 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. include VR experiences, table activities, and videos.
The professor’s presentation will take place in the Planetarium with a limited number of seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. A variety of other activities will take place in the Museum’s atrium. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is located at 1701 Mountain Rd. NW in Albuquerque.
 The images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope captivated the world when they were released earlier this summer. Now get the inside story on how they came to be, and what can be learned from them!
Members of the public with any questions about the event or are interested in attending, contact Public Relations Specialist Stephen Hamway by email or give him a call at 505.412.3758.
