A Poplar Bluff native who is helping take “the deepest observations of the universe to date,” recently made time to share some of that information with visitors to Three Rivers College.
Isaac Laseter is a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a member of James Webb Space Telescope research team called the Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey.
He discussed the capabilities of the JWST within the context of the development of the field of astrophysics with students and teachers on Monday, April 8, as part of events organized around the total solar eclipse.
Laseter explained the subtle tolerances of the telescope allow for observation of planets outside our solar system and their constituent elements through spectroscopy. The foremost question, according to Laseter, is whether these planets could harbor life.
Looking even further beyond, he said the JWST allows scientists to study the formation of new galaxies.
“The universe appears to be quite rapid with its construction of galaxies,” Laseter affirmed.
Launched in 2021, researchers first received data from the telescope in 2022. Laseter said the JWST is a valuable new tool in the astrophysicist’s toolbox. He is confident the JWST will provide groundbreaking data for many years to come.
“It’s still quite new,” Laseter clarified.
He confirmed the telescope did not observe the eclipse for several reasons.
First, the JWST is located well beyond the orbit of the moon. Second, even the smallest variation in temperature can blind the telescope.
Under normal operating conditions, Laseter said the ambient temperature hovers at -447 degrees Fahrenheit, just seven degrees Kelvin above absolute zero.
Even though he observes far-flung galaxies and planets with high-tech equipment, Laseter said, “I was amazed with the eclipse.”
He watched the event in Poplar Bluff with no telescope required.
“It really is an amazing universe we get to experience,” Laseter affirmed.
He commented the celestial events one can see remain awe-inspiring whether they are billions of miles away or in our own celestial backyard.