Post date: May 01, 2015 9:47:20 PM
On Wednesday Dr. Jack Hughes spoke to us about astrophysics and his research in the field. He first explained to us the advancements made by Einstein when he theorized special and general relativity, and then related mass and energy using these concepts into the famous formula E = mc2. Dr. Hughes then told us about discoveries in the late 1900s that led scientists to realize that the universe was expanding at an increasing rate, and about the techniques astronomers used to reach this conclusion. During the Q&A session, Dr. Hughes cited his experience in high school physics, as well as brochures he received from NASA as a kid that contained colorful photos of outer space, as the primary reason for his interest in astrophysics. He also told us about his research using gravitational lensing to identify large clusters of galaxies in outerspace that affect spacetime and can help scientists learn about the nature of the universe. Finally, he talked about where he believes astrophysics is going in the future. With the recent developments in aerospace engineering, scientists have been able to develop the James Webb telescope, which has a mirror 3x the size of that of the Hubble, and a solar shield the size of a football field when unfolded, since the telescope will be placed between the Earth and the Sun. This telescope will be launched in 2018 and will allow us to peer deep into the farthest corners of the universe and learn about the galaxies on its periphery, which scientists are very eager to learn about in order to make deductions about the early universe. Dr. Hughes believes that the discoveries made by this telescope will be transformative to astrophysics, and impressed upon us the sheer amount of funding and advanced engineering that went into creating the Webb Telescope--a process that he was familiar with, having helped construct space probes that have been launched into orbit around the Earth. Dr. Hughes’s presentation and predictions were extremely interesting, and he spoke with students and staff afterwards about his work, and about pursuing astrophysics as a career.
Here's a picture of what the James Webb telescope will look like when it is completed: