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Connecticut scientists hope to benefit from the James Webb Space Telescope

Connecticut Public Radio | By Matt Dwyer
Published July 13, 2022 at 3:57 PM EDT
A landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth
NASA/ESA
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CSA/STScI
NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth in the Carina Nebula.

Scientists at Yale University and the University of Connecticut will soon be poring over data from the new, powerful James Webb Space Telescope.

“I’m actually just blown away. It’s more spectacular than I could have imagined,” Jonathan Trump, UConn associate professor of physics, said in describing the images and information released so far.

Talking remotely from his office with colleagues around the world receiving data from the Webb telescope, UConn physics professor Jonathan Trump said the information was providing images from a time when the universe was less than a billion years old, “This is the beginning of the universe,” he said, “This is why we're so excited.”
Mark Mirko
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Connecticut Public
Imagery from the James Webb Space Telescope is displayed on the computer of UConn physics associate professor Jonathan Trump while he talks remotely from his office with colleagues around the world. Trump said the information is providing images from a time when the universe was less than a billion years old, “This is the beginning of the universe,” he said. “This is why we're so excited.”

Trump hopes to use data from the space telescope to solve a chicken-or-egg question involving galaxies and the black holes at their centers.

“Does the galaxy form first, and then the black hole slowly form at its center? Or do we start with black hole seeds, or black hole eggs, and then galaxies form around them? How do galaxies and their black holes form and grow over almost 14 billion years of cosmic time?” Trump asked.

He is part of a group of scientists receiving data Thursday, July 14, from observations the telescope has already made.

On Friday, Trump will fly to the Space Telescope Science Institute to meet with fellow researchers to discuss the information gathered.

Talking remotely from his office with colleagues around the world receiving data from the Webb telescope, UConn physics professor Jonathan Trump said the information was providing images from a time when the universe was less than a billion years old, “This is the beginning of the universe,” he said, “This is why we're so excited.”
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
UConn physics associate professor Jonathan Trump talks remotely with colleagues around the world about information they just received from the Webb telescope.

Yale,Astronomy Department Chair Priyamvada Natarajan was traveling Wednesday but said in an email that she has made many predictions that can be tested or validated by data from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Natarajan said she has a lot riding on the data.
News
Matt Dwyer
Matt Dwyer is an editor, reporter and midday host for Connecticut Public's news department. He produces local news during All Things Considered.
See stories by Matt Dwyer

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

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