April 14, 2023 8-10PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: The Quest for Cosmic Dawn: First Results from the James Webb Space Telescope
Lecturer:Richard Ellis
Position: Professor
Institution: University College, London
Abstract:
The first billion years after the Big Bang represent the final frontier in assembling a complete picture of cosmic history. During this period early galaxies formed and the universe first became bathed in light. How and when did all this occur? Recent progress with the James Webb Space Telescope suggests we may soon witness this dramatic period when the universe emerged from darkness. Richard Ellis will describe the astonishing progress in this quest up to and beyond the launch of JWST. The motivation is fundamental: the origin of starlight began the process of chemical evolution which ultimately led to our own existence in this remarkable universe.