THIS PROGRAM IS MADE BY MPT TO ENRICH ALL OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS.

THANK YOU.

LIVE FROM MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, THIS IS "DIRECT CONNECTION" WITH JEFF SALKIN.

♪♪] >> JEFF: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOUR "DIRECT CONNECTION."

TONIGHT WE HAVE A VERY BIG TOPIC, VERY BIG.

THE SECRETS OF UNIVERSED HUBBLE AND WEBB SPACE TELESCOPES ARE MANAGED HERE IN MARYLAND AT THE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE NEAR JOHNS HOPKINS.

OUR GUEST IS THE LEADER OF THAT INSTITUTE AND SHE BRINGS COOL NEW IMAGES FOR US SHE IS Dr.

JENNIFER LOTZ TWO YEARS INTO A FIVE-YEAR TERM AS DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JEFF.

>> Jeff: AND THIS IS ACTUALLY YOUR SECOND TOUR OF DUTY AT THE SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSZ CONSTITUTE.

>> THAT IS CORRECT.

I LOVED IT SO MUCH THE FIRST TIME, I CAME BACK AND I COULDN'T TURN IT DOWN.

>> Jeff: LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF YOUR WORK AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WORKING THERE AND AROUND THE WORLD.

AND HAVING ACCESS TO THESE INCREDIBLE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS THE WEBB TELESCOPE, THE HUBBLE AND A THIRD ON THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT.

LET'S GO TO THE VIDEOTAPE.

THIS IS A WHAT?

>> THIS IS THE SURFACE NEBULA.

THIS IS A REAL WHETHER I BEAUTIFUL IMAGE TAKEN RECENTLY WITH THE NEW RELATIVELY NEW JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE.

AND IT IS AN IMAGE OF A REALLY DENSE, YOUNG STAR INCLUDESSER THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A THOUSAND LIGHTYEARS AWAY.

THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE IS REVEALING NEW THINGS ABOUT STAR FORMATION THROUGH THESE IMAGES.

>> Jeff: I'VE SEEN LOTS OF PICTURES OF NEBULAS.

THEY ARE NOT NEBULAS WHAT ARE THEY IT IS A CLOUD, RIGHT?

>> THAT IS RIGHT.

IT IS A CLOUD OF DUST AND GAS.

AND USUALLY IT'S LIT UP BY STARS THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THAT DUST AND GAS.

>> Jeff: SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS EITHER IN THE PROCESS OF STAR FORMATION, OR IT'S EXITING THE PROCESS OF A STAR THAT LIVED ITS LIFE AND THEN -- >> EXACTLY.

THIS IS AT THE YOUNG END OF THIS.

WE ARE WATCHING STARS AS THEY ARE FORMING OUT OF THAT DUST AND GAS.

>> Jeff: AND THE SIZE OF THIS, I MEAN HARD TO TELL FROM THE PICTURE BUT IT'S LIGHT YEARS ACROSS?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

MANY, MANY LIGHT YEARS ACROSS.

>> Jeff: HOW OF THAT DO WE KNOW HOW MANY STARS?

>> THOUSANDS OF STARS, REALLY STHOOR THE NEXT ONE IS DIFFERENT BUT SOMEWHAT SIMILAR AND THAT IS THE BIRTH OF STARS ABOUT 1400 LIGHT YEARS AND A DRAMATIC IMAGE.

>> SO THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED ON A BINARY STAR SYSTEM RIGHT IN THE CENTER HERE.

THERE ARE TWO STARS EMBEDDED IN THE MIDDLE.

AND AS THOSE STARS ARE GROWING BY CREATING GAS, THEY ACTUALLY EJECT A LITTLE BIT OF GAS ALMOST LIKE A BLOOD PRESSURE AS YOU -- BURP AS YOU WILL.

AND WE CAN SEE THAT GAS COMING OUT IN THE GLOWING JETS HERE.

AND ACTUALLY IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE EDGES, YOU CAN SEE THE LEFTOVERS OF PREVIOUS EJECTION FROM THAT BINARY SYSTEM OF STARS.

>> Jeff: THE NEXT IMAGE IS THE REMNANTS OF A STAR THAT EXPLODED.

AND THAT'S JUST PART OF THE LIFE CYCLE OF STARS?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SO THIS IS KIND OF THE END OF THE LIFE CYCLE OF A STAR.

THIS IS CALLED CASIO PA SUPER NOVA IS WHEN A STAR DIES AND IT TYPICALLY EJECTS GAS AS IT'S DOING THAT.

AND THE WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE WAS ABLE TO ZOOM IN ON THE MINUTE NEWT PARTICLES THAT ARE CREATED AS THAT DYING STAR IS EJECTING ITS OUTER SHELL.

>> Jeff: IS IT A CO-WINS SENSE IT'S CIRCULAR?

>> NOT AT ALL.

THESE AS A STAR DIES IT ESSENTIALLY COLLAPSES ON ITSELF AND SENDS ENERGY OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS SO YOU GET A CIRCULAR THREE DIMENSIONS NEBULA.

>> Jeff: IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE WEBB TELESCOPE, THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE, THE ROMAN TELESCOPE SOON 0 COME AND THE IMAGES YOU CAN SEND ALWAYS AND E-MAIL WE WILL HAVE THE ADDRESS ON THE SCREEN.

THE NEXT IMAGE RELIEVING THE PRETTY PICTURES FOR A SECOND THESE ARE LET PRETTY BUT REALLY IMPORTANT.

THESE ARE ECHO PLANETS.

>> WE ZOOMED IN ON A STAR AND USED -- >> Jeff: IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT.

>> WE'VE ACTUALLY BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT FROM THE HOST STAR SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE FAINT THINGS AROUND IT AND WHAT WE'VE REVEALED IS A SOLAR SYSTEM OF FOUR MASSIVE GIANT PLANETS AROUND THAT STAR.

>> Jeff: AM I RIGHTTH RECALLING THAT WE USED TO SPECULATE ON THERE BEING PLANETS OUTSIDE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM AND NOW YOU ARE FINDING THEM EVERYWHERE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW WHEN I WAS A STUDENT WE HAD NOT SEEN ANY EXTRA SOLAR PLANETS AND NOW WE KNOW OF 6,000 AND WE ARE HOPING SOON THAT THAT COUNT WILL GO UP INTO THE TENS OR MAYBE 100,000 OF EXTRA PLANETS.

>> Jeff: WHAT CAN YOU TELL ABOUT THEM FROM THE FAINT DOTS OF DIFFERENT COLORS?

>> YEAH.

SO THE COLORS TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE TEMPERATURE OF THOSE PLANETS.

AND WITH WEBB WE CAN EVEN LEARN ABOUT THEIR CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, HOW MUCH CARBON, HOW MUCH NITROGEN IF IT IS THERE'S WATER.

WE ARE LEARNING THESE PLANETS ARE GAS GIANTS MAYBE NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM JUPITER OR SAT NURN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

>> Jeff: IS THERE ANY SORT OF LIFE ON ANY OF THESE BODIES AND THE MORE BODIES WE FIND, MAYBE THE ODDS OF SUCCESS GO UP?

>> YES.

ABSOLUTELY.

THIS IS AN ACTIVE FIELD OF RESEARCH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE SIGNATURES OF LIFE WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO DETECT THAT ON A PLANET OUTSIDE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM OR WITHIN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

I THINK THE NEXT TELESCOPE WE ARE GOING TO LAUNCH SOON IS GOING TO BE A STEPPING STONE ON THE WAY TO MAKING THAT DISCOVERY.

>> Jeff: WHO IS IN CHARGE OF NAMING THESE.

THE NEXT IS FUN, SOME BRAR ROW GALAXY.

STAR FORMATION ON THE ENDS THE ACTION IS NOT IN THE CENTER BLACK HOLE?

>> THIS IS A GALAXY NOW WE ARE LOOKING OUTSIDE OF OUR OWN MILKY WAY ALL THE PREVIOUS IMAGES WERE.

THIS IS ANOTHER GALAXY.

THIS IS BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF STARS.

AND WHAT THE WEBB TELESCOPE WAS ABLE TO █DO IS TO LOOK AT LIGHT FROM THE MID-INFRARED AND THAT HELPED REVEAL THIS RING AROUND THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY.

THERE IS A BLACK HOLE IN THE MIDDLE HERE BUT THERE IS A RING OF TAR FORMATION SURROUNDING THAT GALAXY.

>> Jeff: ONE MORE IMAGE AT THIS POINT WHICH IS THE MOST DISTANT GALAXY EVER DETECTED?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Jeff: WHICH ISN'T ALL THAT.

>> IT IS A LITTLE TINY DOT.

SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE JAMES WESTBOUND SPACE TELESCOPE WAS BUILT TO DO IS TO SEE WHAT IS THE MOST DISTANT OBJECT IN THE UNIVERSE THAT WE CAN SEE.

THIS GALAXY IS THE ONE THAT WE HAVE CONFIRMED SO FAR.

BUT I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY NOT DONE YET.

AND IT IS WE'RE SEEING IT AS IT WAS JUST A FEW HUNDRED MILLION YEARS ARCH THE BIG BANG LOOKING BACK ALMOST 13.5 BILLION YEARS INTO THE PAST.

>> Jeff: I CANNOT CONCEIVE OF IT.

MAYBE YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU DO THIS ALL DAY BUT THE IDEA THERE ARE MAYBE 100 BILLION STARS IN THE AVERAGE GALAXY.

TELL ME IF I'M GETTING THIS WRONG ON TOP OF THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF GALAXIES?

>> YES.

THERE ARE MORE GALAXIES IN THE UNIVERSE THAN GRAINS OF SAND ON THE BEACHES OF PLANET EARTH.

>> Jeff: ON OUR PLANET?

>> YES.

IT IS REALLY HARD TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND.

>> Jeff: WE ARE NIBBLING AT IT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

TO ME IT IS AMAZING THAT WE HAVE THE POWER TO LOOK OUT AND TO START TO COMPREHEND THAT AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN A RIGOROUS SCIENTIFIC WAY.

>> Jeff: AND THE IDEA THAT THE LIGHT THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IN BALTIMORE, IS COMING FROM HOWEVER MANY BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO?

>> THESE LIGHT RAYS TRAVELED A REALLY LONG TIME FOR US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEM AND UNDERSTAND THEM.

>> Jeff: SO WE'RE NOT SEEING THIS AS IT IS, WE'RE SEEING IT AS IT WAS?

>> EXACTLY.

>> Jeff: NO IDEA WHAT IT IS NOW?

>> THE SPEED OF LIGHT IS FINITE.

SO AS WE SEE THINGS THAT ARE ARE FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING BACK IN TIME.

WHICH IS PART OF THE MAGIC OF ASTROPHYSICS.

>> Jeff: FORGIVE ME FOR A SECOND WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH E-MAIL QUESTIONS.

AND ARE YOU SEEING THE ENTIRE SPECIFIC TUM, UV, INFRARED AND GAM RA RAYS AND SO FORTH?

>> WITH WEBB, WEBB IS OPTIMIZED TO LOOK INTO THE NEW INTRARED AND THE MID-INFRARED.

WITH EACH OF THESE TELESCOPES WE OPTIMIZE THEM FOR A PARTICULAR PART OF THE SPECTRUM.

WEBB SEES THE INFRARED TO THE MID-INFRARED.

HUBBLE CAN SEE INTO THE ULTRAVIOLET AND THE OPTICAL WITH A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP.

>> Jeff: BRINGS US TO THE NEW TELESCOPE AND I WILL NOTE THAT YOUR PIN IS I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE SELLING THESE BUT IT IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE NEWNANSY GRACE ROMAN TELESCOPE?

>> IT IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE MAIN CAMERA WFI, THE WILD FIELD INSTRUMENT.

THIS IS A CAMERA THAT HAS A FIELD OF VIEW THAT IS 100 TIMES THE FIELD OF VIEW THAT HUBBLE HAS.

>> Jeff: MEANING WIDER?

>> SO IF YOU THINK OF HUBBLE OR WEBB AS SHE IS ZOOM CAMERAS, ROMAN IS LIKE A PANORAMIC CAMERA.

IT'S GOING TO GET THE SAME QUALITY IMAGE AS A HUBBLE IMAGE, BUT AGAIN, A MUCH, MUCH BIGGER FIELD OF VIEW.

>> Jeff: WHERE DOES THIS ONE GO?

PEOPLE LOCALLY RECALL ALL OF THE EXCITEMENT WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE HUBBLE THEN THE REPAIR OF THE HUBBLE AND FURTHER UPDATES.

IT WAS IN EARTH ORBIT AND YOU COULD GET TO IT.

AND WESH IS WAY FURTHER OUT.

AND SORT OF A HOLDING POINT.

WHERE IS THIS ONE GOING?

>> THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE A NEIGHBOR OF WEBB.

SO IT'S GOING TO LAUNCH OUT TO WHAT IS CALLED A SECOND LAGRANGE POINT WHICH IS A STABLE ORBIT BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE SUN.

AND THAT ALLOWS US TO NOT USE TOO MUCH FUEL TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT TELESCOPE.

>> Jeff: ALL RIGHT LET'S GO BACK IN TIME A LITTLE BIT.

THIS IS NOT YEARS AND YEARS.

THIS IS VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG AND YOU DISCOVERED ASTRONOMY BECAUSE YOU WATCHED PBS A GREAT PLACE TO DISCOVER A LOT OF THINGS WHAT WAS THE SHOW THAT GOT YOU HOOKED?

>> I USED TO WATCH CASS MONTHS BY CARL WITH MY DAD AND I WAS LIKE FIRST GRADE AND THAT REALLY LEFT A LEGACY ON ME THE WAY THAT HE TALKED ABOUT THE FORMATION OF OUR EARTH AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM AT THE TIME CARL SAGAN WAS PART OF NASA'S EXPLORATION WITH THE VOYAGER TELESCOPES IT WAS A GREAT HOOK AND I'VE STUCK WITH IT THROUGH THE YEARS.

>> Jeff: SO COOL.

SO YOU HAD THIS LITTLE INTRO TO THE FIELD.

HOW DID YOU PURSUE IT?

>> WELL, STUDIED REALLY HARD.

>> Jeff: WHEN YOU WENT TO COLLEGE THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT?

>> I REMEMBER THINKING DO I WANT TO DO ASTRONOMY AND PHYSICS OR ENGLISH AND I THOUGHT I THINK ASTRONOMY ANDPHYSICS IS FOR ME AND I ENDED UP GOING TO BREAK-IN MARK COLLEGE OUTSIDE OF PHILADELPHIA AND DOUBLE MAJORED IN ASTRONOMY AND PHYSICS AND WENT TO JOHNS HOPKINS FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL.

LONG-TERM KEEPS BRINGING ME BACK.

>> Jeff: THERE'S MAYBE SOMEBODY WHO WILL WATCH THIS INTERVIEW ON-LINE AT SOME POINT MAYBE A YOUNG GIRL SOMEWHERE, AND YOU KNOW, THE SPARK IS GOING TO GO OFF.

AND START ANOTHER GENERATION OF INQUISITION?

>> IT'S BEEN A GREAT ADVENTURE.

I'M INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO HAVE HAD THE PATH I'VE HAD.

>> Jeff: WE'RE FORTUNATE YOU COULD JOIN US HERE.

LET'S LOOK AT IMAGES CLOSER TO OUR BACKYARD.

WE HAVE BEEN I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY LIGHT YEARS AWAY.

THIS ONE IS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM WHERE YOU LOOK AT THE TWO GIANT PLANETS.

UP FIRST IS JUPITER.

WHY ARE YOU USING ALL THIS HARDWARE TO BASICALLY LOOK DOWN THE STREET?

>> YEAH.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT JUPITER WITH THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T SEE WHEN YOU LOOK FROM THE GROUND.

ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE PUT TELESCOPES IN SPACE IS BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO ACCESS PARTS OF THAT SPECTRUM THAT YOU DID NOT SEE FROM THE GROUND.

THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE MID-INFRARED IT LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU MIGHT BE USED TO SEEING WITH JUPITER.

AND IT'S REVEALING THINGS ABOUT THE STORMS ON JUPITER.

WE CAN SEE IN THE AT THE POLES WE CAN SEE THE AURORA.

AND IT'S HELPING US UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICS AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN JUPITER.

>> Jeff: THE POLESES ARE RED BECAUSE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS OF JUPITER GOING ON?

>> THAT IS RIGHT.

>> Jeff: INTERESTING.

A VIEW HE QUESTION, ROB WANTS TO KNOW IS IT CORRECT THESE ARE RADIO TELESCOPES, NOT ENTIRELY RIGHT?

HOLD THE THOUGHT FOR A SECOND WHICH HAVE NO COLOR HOW DO YOU ASSIGN COLORS TO THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE PLANETS AND STARS WHICH IS A BIG QUESTION WHEN WE'RE SEEING THE BEAUTIFUL IMAGES?

>> THE QUESTION HOW YOU PICK THE COLORS IS A GOOD ONE OUR EYE CAN'T SEE IN THE MID-INFRARED.

THIS IS A PROJECTION.

WE HAVE SOME REALLY AMAZING FOLKS WHO DO IMAGE PROCESSING AT SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE AND THEY TRY TO CAPTURE INFORMATION WITH THE COLORS.

THE COLORS FROM RED TO BLUE ARE CORRECT IN THE RELATIVE SENSE.

WHAT IS RED ON HERE IS THE REDDEST WAVELENGTH WE'RE SEEING WITH WEBB.

WHAT IS BLUE ABOUT IS IS THE BLUEST WAVELENGTH WE'RE SEEING WITH WEBB.

AND OFTEN IF WE ARE CAPTURING THE EMISSION LINE OF PARTICULAR CHEMICAL FEATURES THINKING ABOUT A NEON LIGHT LIKE A NEON IS GLOWING OR OXYGEN IS GLOWING WE'LL CAPTURE THAT WITH SPECIFIC COLORS AS WELL.

THERE IS A LOT OF DEEPER INFORMATION IN WHAT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL IMAGES.

>> Jeff: LET'S TRY A DEEP QUESTION HERE.

THIS IS FROM PAUL.

GIVEN THAT HE TYPES PHONONS, IS THERE A SUCH THING OR A PHOTON?

HAVE NEGATIVE MASS WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT TO HAPPEN WHEN ONE OF THESE THINGS ENCOUNTERS A BLACK HOLE?

WOULD IT BOUNCE OFF?

WOULD IT DO THE OPPOSITE?

>> THAT IS PART OF THE QUESTION.

NO GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU RUN INTO A BLACK HOLE.

>> Jeff: GOOD THINGS HAPPEN?

>> IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE PHOTON.

>> SATURN WHAT DO WE LEARN BY LOOKING AT THIS WITH A TELESCOPE?

>> SO, I MEAN, IF I GO BACK TO CARL SAGAN AND THE VOYAGER MISSIONS AND WE ARE HAVING OTHER MISSIONS FLY BY MISSIONS WILL STUDY THE GIANT PLANETS IN GREAT DETAIL.

WHAT HUBBLE AND WEBB ARE ABLE TO DO IS ACTUALLY MONITOR THE PLANETS.

WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PLANETS YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH SATURN AS WE LOOK AT IT OVER THE COURSE OF MANY YEARS, THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE RINGS ARE AT CHANGE-OVER TIME.

AND WE ARE ALSO ABLE WITH WEBB TO SEE HOW SATURN INTERACTS WITH THE RINGS AND WITH ITS SURROUNDING MOONS.

SO WE'VE SEEN TRACES OF WATER VAPOR FOR EXAMPLE COMING OFF OF THOSE MOONS WHICH IS VERY FAINT AND HARD TO DETECT BUT IS REALLY FASCINATING FOR UNDERSTANDING OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

>> Jeff: IS IT INCEL TO US THAT NASA SPACECRAFT DONE A FLY BY OF AND FLOWN THROUGH THE JETS OF WATER SHOOTING OUT OF THIS THING?

>> THAT IS RIGHT.

WE BELIEVE THERE'S EJECTED WATER COMING OFF.

>> Jeff: AND THERE MAYBE ONE AROUND JUPITER THE SAME WAY.

THE TROUBLE WE'D LOVE TO GET A SAMPLE OF THAT BUT IT'S NOT EASILY DONE BECAUSE IT'S ENSHROUDED BY MILES OF ICE.

>> IT IS A BIG THING TO SEND YOU KNOW, ROBOTIC MISSIONS ALL THE WAY OUT MILLIONS OF MILES TO THESE DISTANT PLANETS.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID FOR HAVING US HERE CLOSER TO EARTH MONITORING THOSE PLANETS AND THEN HAVING THE ROBOTIC MISSIONS GOING OUT AND LEARNING THINGS IN GREAT DETAIL.

>> Jeff: THIS IS A VIEWER E-MAIL FROM DANIEL, WHO HAS REALLY GOOD SOURCES I HEARD SOMEWHERE THAT ONE OF THE FAIRLY CLOSE SUPER MASSIVE STARS IS BEHAVING LIKE IT'S ABOUT TO EXPLODE.

HAVE YOU HEARD THAT?

>> HE MIGHT BE REFERRING TO [INAUDIBLE] WHICH HAS BEEN ACTING VERY WEIRD AND EXPANDING.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT ASTRONOMERS ARE WATCHING CLOSELY BECAUSE WE WOULD LOVE TO OBSERVE THE MOMENT THAT THAT EXPLOSION OR SUPER NOVA HAPPENS.

>> Jeff: THAT BRINGS UP AN OPERATIONAL QUESTION WEBB AND HUBBLE ARE NOT GOING YOU CAN SPIN ON A DIME, AND SAY LET'S LOOK OVER THERE WITH IT.

>> YOU NEED ABOUT TWO DAYS BUT WE DO HAVE FOLKS WHO SAY WE THINK SOMETHING IS REALLY EXCITING HAPPENING.

CAN YOU POINT HUBBLE OR WEBB OVER TO SEE A NEW LIKE THESE INNER SOLAR COMETS THAT HAVE BEEN FLYING BY.

WE HAVE BEEN CHASING THOSE.

IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS A NEW EXPLOSION AND IT'S SCIENTIFICALLY EXCITING WE ARE ABLE TO WITHIN A FEW DAYS POINT THOSE TELESCOPES THERE.

>> Jeff: WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING THING WE HAVE CAUGHT IN PROGRESS?

>> EXCITING FLASH TERRIFYING WAS JAMES WEBB ATTRACTING THIS ASTEROID, I BELIEVE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCOVERED IN 2024 FOR A BRIEF PERIOD THERE WAS A SLIGHT CHANCE THAT IT MIGHT HIT THE EARTH AND WE WERE ABLE TO TRACE IT AND DETERMINE NO WITH WEBB AND WE CAN DETERMINE THIS ASTEROID IS NOT GOING TO HIT EARTH.

IT WAS A SMALL CHANCE IT MIGHT HIT THE MOON AND NOW WE'RE PRETTY SURE IT'S NOT GOING TO HIT THE MOON.

>> Jeff: GOOD WORK.

THAT WILL KEEP THE FUNDING GOING.

LET'S GO BACK TO NEBULAS, CAT'S PAW IS THE NAME OF IT.

AND I THINK I'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE.

IT REMINDS ME OF THE CLASSIC EARLY HUBBLE PILLARS OF CREATION SHOT.

>> YES.

SO THIS IS WAS THE ANNIVERSARY IMAGE FOR JAMES WEBB I BELIEVE LAST YEAR.

YOU ARE LOOKING HERE AT THE INTERPLAY AGAIN OF DUST AND GAS AND FORMING STARS AND YOU CAN SEE THESE CAVITIES ARE BEING OPENED UP BY THE BRIGHT STARS WITHIN THEM.

>> Jeff: VIEWER WANTS TO KNOW IS THE KOZ MOZ STILL ACCELERATING APART AFTER THE BIG BANG, TALK A BIT ABOUT ZERO CALVIN AND DEEP SPACE AND IF THAT IS REDUCED FRICTION TO ZERO?

WE HAVE VERY SMART VIEWERS.

>> THE UNIVERSE IS STILL EXPANDING AND ACCELERATING.

AND THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN IS ATTEMPTING TO STUDY.

WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE VERY NATURE OF OUR UNIVERSE AND WE WANT TO MEASURE THAT ACCELERATION AS WE LOOK BACK IN TIME.

>> Jeff: AND SOME OF THE BIG QUESTIONS INVOLVE MYSTERY DARK MATTER, MYSTERY ENERGY?

>> WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT MOST OF WHAT MAKES UP THE UNIVERSE.

EVERYTHING THAT WE SEE HERE INCLUDING IN THESE IMAGES IS ONLY ABOUT 4% OF THE KNOWN MATTER AND ENERGY IN THE UNIVERSE.

DARK MATTER MAKES UP 25% OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE.

AND THIS THING CALLED DARK ENERGY WHICH WE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THE REST.

SO IT'S WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE AND UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN TELESCOPE IS REALLY DESIGNED TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND AND MAP OUT DARK MATTER ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.

AS WELL AS STUDY THAT FORCE OF DARK ENERGY AS IT'S DRIVING THAT ACCELERATION.

>> Jeff: FOR DECADES NOW, THE SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE HAS BEEN DOWNLOADING AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DATA.

IT IS A SLIVER OF WHAT IS OUT THERE AND YOU'VE GOT IT.

IN THE SCIENTIFIC REQUEST PROPOSALS THAT COME IN, HAS ANYBODY PROPOSED DUMPING THIS WHOLE THING INTO A.I.

AND LETTING A.I.

TAKE A SWING AT IT?

>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.

YES.

WELL, WE PROVIDE ALL OF OUR DATA ON-LINE.

IT'S OPEN ACCESS.

SO AFTER SOMEWHAT WE CALL PROPRIETARY PERIOD ANYONE IN THE WORLD CAN DOWNLOAD AND IT ANALYZE IT.

AND USING A.I.

FOR SCIENTIFIC STUDIES IS ABSOLUTELY A CUTTING EDGE FIELD.

THERE ARE MANY, MANY QUESTIONS, I THINK JUST DUMPING SOMETHING INTO AN A.I.

MACHINE YOU MAY GET HALLUCINATIONS.

RESEARCH REMEMBERS STARTING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO INCORPORATE A.I.

ANALYSIS INTO THEIR DAILY WORK.

IT IS A REALLY MIND-BLOWING PERIOD OF TIME TO BE A SCIENTIST.

>> Jeff: I HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE.

LET'S LOOK AT ANOTHER PICTURE OR TWO.

GOING BACK TO THE WORLD OF NEBULAS.

WOW, WHERE IS THIS ONE?

>> YEAH, THIS IS ROW OF I.C.U.

S. THIS IS ANOTHER DYNAMIC STAR SYSTEM WHERE YOU CAN SEE OUTFLOWS HAPPENING.

>> Jeff: I MEAN IT LOOKS LIKE SMOKE FROM A WILDFIRE THERE.

AND THAT'S PARTLY IN THE ARTIST'S CONTROL WHAT COLOR WE'RE GOING TO -- >> THE COLORS ARE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT THE UNDERLYING PHYSICS AND WHAT IS HAPPENING THE TEMPERATURES OF THE WAS AND THE GAS AND THE SHAPES, VERY MUCH ARE REMINISCENT OF FEATURES AND THINGS WE WOULD SEE ON EARTH IN TERMS OF CLOUDS IN THE SKY AND HOW THOSE PROMULGATE.

>> Jeff: ALL OF THIS DATA ALL THESE PRETTY PICTURES ON YOUR WEBSITE, THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY, IT'S ALL OUT THERE.

IS THERE A GOOD ENTRY POINT?

ONE SENTENCE ANSWER?

>> I THINK NASA DOT GOV/WEBB WILL GET YOU FAR.

>> Jeff: QUITE THE VOYAGE THE Dr.

JENNIFER LOTZ THE SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR "DIRECT CONNECTION" WE'RE BACK FRIDAY WITH "STATE CIRCLE" AND THE LATEST ON MARYLAND POLITICS.

FOR ALL OF US AT MPT THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

[♪♪]