Open House Night in Astronomy: The James Webb Space Telescope October 19, 2011

Dr. Roger Knacke, professor of physics and astronomy emeritus, will return to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Wednesday, Oct. 19, to give an Open House Night in Astronomy presentation on the James Webb Space Telescope.

His nontechnical lecture will be held at 7:30 p.m. in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building; astronomical viewing will follow, weather permitting. Admission is free and open to the public.

Knacke was director of the college’s School of Science from 1992 until his retirement in 2010. He now lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he has been an instructor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s initiative to succeed the aging Hubble Space Telescope, is scheduled for launch in 2018. “The Webb Telescope is a remarkable new instrument with seven times the light collecting power of Hubble. With that capability, it will have the power to search for the first stars and galaxies that formed in the very young universe more that 13 billion years ago,” Knacke said. “It also has the potential to investigate the new planets that have been found orbiting distant stars. Since some of these planets may have conditions on them that are favorable to life, this will be a next step in our search for life in the universe. The Webb Telescope could help us find answers to questions that have puzzled humankind for centuries.”

Knacke will discuss the science that drives the Webb Telescope, its ground breaking new technology, and the present status of the mission.

Open House Nights in Astronomy are an outreach program of the School of Science at Penn State Behrend. These nontechnical presentations are intended for ages 8 and up; for additional information, contact the school at 814-898-6105.