Residents view images from new space telescope
GRAVETTE — Several people gathered at the Gravette Civic Center Thursday evening, Aug. 25, to view images from the James Webb Space Telescope which was launched on Dec. 25, 2021.
Katherine Auld, a NASA Solar System Ambassador and founder of NWA Space, presented the program as one in a series of NASA @ My Library events hosted by the Gravette Public Library.
NASA partnered with the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency to launch the James Webb Space Telescope and it took approximately six months to reach its orbit about one million miles from the earth, so the first images from the telescope were not released until
July 12. The large mirrors and infrared technology on JWST have resulted in some striking images being received on earth. Data is sent by radio waves through a deep space network.
Auld’s slide program included an interesting explanation of the construction of the telescope and a history of the launch procedure, then proceeded to display images of stars and galaxies which have been received. Images included the Cosmic Cliffs, part of Carina Nebula; Stephen’s Quintet, the largest image received to date; and the Cartwheel Galaxy. She speculated that JWST would probably discover other planets soon. Auld said she was excited to share the images with her audience, young and old, including a young lady who expressed a desire to become an astronomer herself.
She answered several questions from the audience following her program.
Auld said that some of the mirrors on JWST have been hit by meteorites and sustained some damage, but the telescope will be used for several years to come. She said the machine should last 15 to 20 years.
Auld said Northwest Arkansas is fortunate to have the Amazeum but NWA Space is encouraging everyone in the area to support a science center in the area to help complement it. She said money is needed to help set up a planetarium to house the giant telescope received from Swarthmore University and to build a science center.
The Gravette Public Library was one of 60 libraries nationwide selected for participation in NASA @ My Library and received funding for events and activities focused on earth, Mars, the moon, and the universe.
Plans are to hold a Moon Over Main Street event on Saturday, Oct. 1, in collaboration with the Sugar Creek Astronomical Society. The society will bring telescopes to set up on Main Street, and area citizens are invited to come and see what objects from outer space they can observe in the night sky. Oct. 1 has been designated as International Observe the Moon Night.