Sky and Space: Flying Little Airplanes and NASA's Hubble & James Webb Space Telescopes

For many astronomers, fascination with space begins just hundreds of feet aloft and extends to the most distant reaches of our universe.  Dr. Amber Straughn will discuss both her work at NASA studying galaxies with Hubble and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, as well as her recent experiences in flight as a new Private Pilot.  Background: For over 20 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has been revealing the unknown cosmos; this single scientific instrument has completely revolutionized our understanding of the Universe.  Despite the remarkable advances in astronomy that Hubble has provided, the new questions that have arisen demand a new space telescope with new technologies and capabilities.  Amber will present the exciting new technology development and science goals of Hubble's 100x-more-powerful successor, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which is currently being built and tested and will be launched later this decade.  Amber will discuss these amazing technologies in the context of the human connection to sky and space, and her experiences as a new pilot.