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NU Astrophysicists Gain Early Access to James Webb Telescope

July 13, 2022

Text taken from Northwestern Now article by Amanda Morris

After releasing its first full-color images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on July 12, NASA officially has transitioned its new telescope to scientific operations. Two members of the Northwestern University Physics and Astronomy Department have gained coveted early access to the telescope, beginning observations this summer.

Starting within the next month, Allison Strom will lead the CECILIA (Chemical Evolution Constrained using Ionized Lines in Interstellar Aurorae) Survey, which will study the chemistry of distant galaxies.

From Aug. 5 through Sept. 25, 2022, Farhad Yusef-Zadeh will contribute to a team studying star formation at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. This project is led by Nadeen Sabha at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Next year, Yusef-Zadeh also will lead a project using JWST to examine Sagittarius A*, our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole.

Click here to read the full article.