For more than thirty years, NASA has unlocked a great many mysteries of the universe by employing their space-based Great Observatories, a series of orbiting telescopes that have allowed us to see farther into space and deeper back into time. We will take a brief look at these Great Observatories, including a history of telescopes and discovery (Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Herschel); discuss the currently-operating Great Observatories (Spitzer infrared, Hubbell visible spectrum, Chandra x-ray, and Compton gamma ray space telescopes); briefly discuss the planet hunting space telescopes like Kepler; and finish with the history, technology, and capabilities of the newly-flown James Webb space telescope.  We will take a look at the success of Hubble and its sister space telescopes, and look forward to the wonders that the James Webb Space Telescope will reveal to us.

Registration deadline: Feb. 12