Planet-forming discs with the James Webb Space Telescope
Talk by Dr Sebastiaan Krijt – University of Exeter.
State-of-the-art facilities like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) allow astronomers to study the chemical make-up of planet-forming discs surrounding nearby young stars. In this talk, Dr Krijt will present recent discoveries on water and other molecules, and discuss what this may mean for the formation of habitable, Earth-like planets. He will also give an update on an ongoing project involving the Norman Lockyer Observatory’s collection of spectral plates.
Dr Krijt is a Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at the University of Exeter. He is an expert in planet formation, protoplanetary disc studies, and astrochemistry, and is also involved in various projects related to the history of astronomy.
This talk will take place during the Norman Lockyer Observatory Family Fun Day for which a £15 per adult entry charge applies. Children 0-17 go free.
This year there are four space-themed talks – Planet-forming discs with the James Webb Space Telescope, The quest for new worlds, Chaos in weather forecasting and Space Weather.
In association with the Norman Lockyer Observatory.
Protoplanetary disk image Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) – https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1436a/