NASA’s Matt Greenhouse to Give UW Lecture on James Webb Space Telescope Mission

In celebration of the Wyoming Infrared Observatory's 50th anniversary, guest speaker Matt Greenhouse will deliver a talk, titled "The James Webb Space Telescope Mission," Friday, Oct. 2, at 4 p.m. in Room 133 of the University of Wyoming Classroom Building.

The event, hosted by UW's Department of Physics and Astronomy, is free and open to the public.

Greenhouse serves as integrated science instrument module project scientist for NASA. Greenhouse has served on the James Webb Space Telescope senior staff as project scientist for the Webb science instrument payload since 1997. Greenhouse specializes in infrared imaging spectroscopy, development of related instrumentation and technologies, flight project science and technical management.

The Webb is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It is the largest space telescope ever constructed and is giving humanity its first high-definition view of the infrared universe.

The telescope observes early epochs of the universe that the Hubble cannot see to reveal how its galaxies and structure have evolved over cosmic time and is searching exoplanet atmospheres for evidence of life.

NASA developed the Webb in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies, with science observations proposed by the international astronomical community in a manner similar to the Hubble.

Launch of the Webb occurred during Christmas Day 2021. In-flight commissioning was completed during June 2022, and science operations have been underway for five years.

For more information, email [email protected] or call (307) 766-6150.