FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dr. Rhett Herman March 26, 2022 540-831-5441, rherman@radford.edu
THE RADFORD UNIVERSITY PLANETARIUM JOINS NASA IN NATIONWIDE CELEBRATION OF WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE FIRST SCIENCE IMAGES
RADFORD, VA – THE RADFORD UNIVERSITY PLANETARIUM has joined hundreds of sites across the country to celebrate the release of the first science images from the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s next great space science observatory. The Radford University Planetarium will offer a range of public programs to bring the excitement of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for all ages, and to everyone in the New River Valley and beyond. This will be on June 10-11 (Friday-Saturday) and everyone's invited.
“We are thrilled that the Radford University Planetarium is an official host site for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope community events celebrating Webb’s first stunning images,” said Dr. Rhett Herman, Professor of Physics and Planetarium Director. “We are partnering with many departments and groups in the Artis College of Science and Technology, in the border Radford University community, as well as multiple community locations and regional organizations for this event celebrating this amazing feat of science and engineering. People of all ages and backgrounds will find inspiration in Webb’s new view of the cosmos, which will fundamentally change our understanding of the universe for this generation and many to come.”
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 Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, launched Dec. 25, 2021. After unfolding in space into its final form, Webb successfully arrived at its destination nearly 1 million miles from Earth and began preparing for science operations.
The observatory, which is designed to see the universe in the infrared, will push the field of astronomy into a new era. Webb will be able to study light from distant parts of the universe for the very first time – the first galaxies that formed over 13.5 billion years ago – and give us insight into how our universe formed. It will also peer into dusty stellar nurseries to explore distant worlds orbiting other stars, as well as observe 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.
Our two-day event will feature multiple planetarium shows, the neighboring Museum of the Earth Sciences, many science-themed activities, games, displays, and more. There will be something for all ages, and all are invited. For a full schedule of events, visit: https://planetarium.radford.edu/ or contact Dr. Rhett Herman, rherman@radford.edu, 540-831- 5441.
The Radford University Planetarium is located at 925 East Main Street, Radford, VA, 24142. Our community event will be free and open to the public from 9am to 5pm on June 10 and 11. This event will be in-person. Please see the planetarium website for evolving details.
To learn more about the Webb telescope, visit https://webb.nasa.gov/ and https://webbtelescope.org/.
