Niels Bohr Lecture by Klaus Pontoppidan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Title: The origins of habitable worlds and the case for infrared telescopes in space

Abstract: The development of space telescopes are generational projects, each spanning nearly a lifetime from conception to completion. They address questions about the human condition and our place in the Universe that cannot be answered any other way.

One of the most important such questions is how the conditions for life were set on Earth, and whether such conditions are common in the Galaxy. The James Webb Space Telescope, following on the success of Hubble, was launched on Christmas morning 2021, and immediately began transforming our understanding of our origins.

I will tell the story of how we created the first images that introduced the science of JWST to the public, what JWST is now teaching us about the origins of exoplanetary atmospheres, and how we plan to extend this legacy with a future generation of space telescopes.

About the speaker

Klaus Pontoppidan is known for his extensive work on the origins of exoplanetary atmospheres, and for his contributions to the development of space observatories operating at infrared wavelengths.

He worked as James Webb Space Telescope Project Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute through launch and commissioning.

Klaus has also made significant contributions to public outreach, including as the Principal Investigator of the first color images from JWST.

He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief Scientist for Physics and Astronomy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Coffee, tea and cake will be served outside Aud. 3 at 15:45