UNLV professor available for NASA James Webb Telescope comment

UNLV professor of physics and astronomy Jason Steffen is available to talk about the significance of the James Webb Space Telescope imagery, and how it broadens our understanding of the universe.

Today is the day that scientists are saying could change the way we look at space forever — with several full-color images of celestial bodies like we’ve never seen.

Steffen — a former NASA scientist who worked on the agency’s Kepler mission — can chat with journalists today and tomorrow (Tuesday, July 12) about the unveiling by President Biden, in the company of NASA, of the first full-color James Webb Space Telescope image at 2:30 p.m. PDT today and more images to come tomorrow.

• One image is planned for release today, while several others will be shown off Tuesday morning.

• Targets include the Carina and Southern Ring Nebulae, and a deep field view of galaxy clusters.

• NASA Webb Telescope was launched on December 25, 2021.

Steffen has been following the James Webb Telescope mission for years, and you’re welcome to pull info and quotes from a university article on UNLV’s News Center. “You can tell that there’s objects there because you see the outlines, but you don’t know exactly what those objects are until you remove the tablecloth or look through it,” Steffen said.

Media interested in interviewing Prof. Steffen should contact Johnny Domol, UNLV Media Relations, at [email protected].