GREENBELT, Md. — The Visitor’s Center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. is opening its doors for a free night of space science and discovery. News media representatives are invited to learn about the James Webb Space Telescope being built at Goddard, enjoy some stargazing through telescopes provided by the Goddard Astronomy Club, see an eye-filling video presentation in the Science on a Sphere auditorium, and take home educational giveaways.
On Thursday, August 26, from 7-9:00 p.m. EDT at the Goddard Visitor Center, two speakers will share details about NASA’s next-generation space telescope. Media can meet Paul Geithner, James Webb Observatory Manager, and Amber Straughn, Lead Scientist for Webb Telescope Education and Public Outreach, as they provide highlights of the powerful science the Webb telescope will bring to Earth.
Important Note: This event is already full in terms of general public attendees and this invitation is only to news media organizations and their representatives wishing to cover the event. For access to the visitor center and/or to request interviews with NASA personnel, reporters should contact either Ed Campion at 301-286-0697 or Rob Gutro at 301-286-4044 in the Goddard newsroom.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest space telescope known to man and will launch in several years. The Webb telescope is as large as a tennis court and is being built. Visitors will learn how the Webb telescope will search for the first galaxies formed after the Big Bang, determine how galaxies evolved, observe the formation of stars and planetary systems, and measure the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems while investigating the potential for life in those systems.
For directions to the NASA Goddard Visitor Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/directions/index.html
For more information about the James Webb Space Telescope, visit: www.jwst.nasa.gov
