"DIRECT CONNECTION" IS MADE BY MPT TO SERVE 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, EVERYONE.

WE'RE LIVE TONIGHT FROM WHAT MAY BE THE VERY CENTER OF THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE RIGHT BEHIND ME IS THE CONTROL ROOM FOR THE BRAND NEW JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE WHICH IS A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM EARTH AND SENDING BACK SOME INCREDIBLE IMAGES.

JOINING US TONIGHT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. CLAUS.

THE PROJECT SCIENTIST HERE AT THE SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE IN BALTIMORE.

CLAUS, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

IT IS LIKE CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY HERE, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE SAY.

FOR A FEW MONTHS NO OF WE'VE JUST BEEN TAKING IMAGES AND DATA FROM SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD.

WITH THE WEBB.

IT'S EXCITING IS.

>> THE WEBB TELESCOPE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE HOW?

>> YES, SO THE WEBB TELESCOPE ASK AN INFRA TELESCOPE THAT SEEDS INFRARED LIGHT.

IT IS REDDER THAN WHAT WE CAN SEE WITH OUR HUMAN AYES OH IT'S REALLY OPENING A WINDOW OF THE UNIVERSE TO SEE EBEL COMPLETE DIFFERENT THINGS.

>> AND SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS HAVE JUST BEEN INCREDIBLE IMAGES SO FAR.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF WHAT'S CALLED THE SPY SPIRAL GALAXY.

WE HAVE TWO VERSIONS OF IT IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF LIGHT.

SO THAT'S A PICTURE OF THE WEBB TELESCOPE ITSELF.

THE NEXT IMAGE SHOWS, IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A MARTIAL COUNTERTOP TO D. MARBLE COUNTER TOP TO ME TO BE HONEST.

BHAR THE LINES, THE FILAMENTS THAT WE'RE SEEING THERE?

>> THIS IS DEAL A GRAND CALLED IC 5332.

NOT REALLY THAT MUCH UNLIKE OUR OWN MILKY WAY GALAXY, BUT WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS BECAUSE IT'S AN INFRARED IMAGE OUT OF THESE LONG WAVELENGTHS, IT'S VERY RED-LIKE.

STARS FADE AWAY.

AND WHAT YOU SEE IS CLOUDS OF GAS AND DUST THAT ARE ACTIVELY FORMING NEW STARS.

SO IT'S VERY COMPLEMENTARY TO WHAT YOU WOULD SEE WITH HUBBLE.

>> THERE'S A SIMILAR ISSUE, IMAGERY RATHER, FROM HUBBLE ITSELF OF THE SAME PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE, AND IT LOOKS SO VERY DIFFERENT.

>> YEAH, SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE INVERSE.

SO HERE YOU SEE THE STARS, AUTOMATICS BLUE STUFF AND THE SPIRAL ARMS.

ALL THE BLUE STUFF AND THE SPIRAL ARMS.

WITH THE WEBB IMAGE YOU SEE WHAT IS DARK IN HUBBLE.

YOU SEED THAT LIGHT UP IN BRIGHT, BRIGHT COLORS.

AND WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SEE THERE FROM THOSE CLOUDS IS COMPLEX HYDROCARBONS.

IT'S THIS KIND OF TOXIC MATERIAL THAT'S ALL OVER THE UNIVERSE, CARRIES A LOT OF THE CARBON.

YOU AND I, LIFE ON EARTH ONCE LOOKED LIKE THAT.

WE ARE MADE OF HYDRO CARBON AND WATER AND THAT'S WHAT WE ONCE LOOKED LIKE BEFORE WE ASSEMBLED INTO PLANETS.

>> I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE PURPOSE OF WEBB TELESCOPE WAS TO SEE FARTHER AWAY AND FURTHER BACK IN TIME THAN WE'D EVER BEEN ABLE TO SEE BEFORE, BUT YOU'VE ALSO TAKEN SOME IMAGES OF THINGS THAT ARE MORE OR LESS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THERE'S A PICTURE OF NEPTUNE.

>> OH, YEAH.

>> AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT NEPTUNE HAD RINGS.

HAD WE SEEN THEM BEFORE?

>> YEAH, WE WERE ACTUALLY VERY EXPWIETD TO SEE THE EXCITED TO SEE THE RINGS.

IT WAS SEEN WITH VOYAGE ARE ALMOST 30 QUEERS AGO WHEN THAT SPACECRAFT VISITED NEPTUNE AND THE.

THEY NEPTUNE SYSTEM BUT IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE RINGS FROM THE GROUND.

AND WHEN WE TOOK OUR WEBB IMAGE, THEY JUST POPPED OUT SO NICE AND SHARP.

SO IT'S ALL THE PLANETS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM HAVE RINGS.

>> THIS IS A PARTICULARLY EDGE CHANG IMAGE FOR WEBB TO GET.

>> YEAH, BECAUSE YOU SEE NEPTUNE ITSELF, IT'S VERY BRIGHT.

YOU SEE THE RINGS ARE MUCH FAHRENHEIT AND WE ACTUALLY SIGHT IN THE CONTEXT OF DISTANT GALAXIES IN THE BACK.

AND WHEN YOU TAKE AN IMAGE LIKE THIS OF A SYSTEM LIKE NEPTUNE, EVERYTHING MOVES.

THEY NEPTUNE ITSELF ROTATES.

IT HAS MOONS AROUND IT AND THEY ZIP AROUND.

YOU SEE THE MOON VISIBLY MINUTES.

SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO SNAP IT VERY QUICKLY.

>> LET ME REMIND OUR VIEWERS IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING IN THE IEWRCH, KLAUS.

>> ANSWER IT HAD.

THE SEND US AN EMAIL TO LIVEQUESTIONS@MPT.ORG.

SO WE HAPPEN TO HAVE THIS MODEL OF THE WEBB TELESCOPE AND YOU CAN SEE THE FAMOUS GOLD MIRROR.

AND THE HEAT SHIELD, WHICH IS A COMPLEX IDEA THAT ONE SIDE OF THE THIS SPACECRAFT CAN FACE THE SUN AND BE INCREDIBLY HOT, AND THE OTHER SIDE CAN BE JUST ICE COLD.

YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT BETTER THAN I CAN.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

SO YOU HAVE THESE FIRE LAYERS IN THE SUN SHIELD THAT WORK KIND OF LIKE A THERMOS SO THEY HAVE GAPS IN AGAIN THAT KEEP THE SIDE NEXT TO THE TELESCOPE COLD, AND SO THE TELL COPE ITSELF IS AN INTERNAL SHADE AND IT GETS COOLED DOWN TO INCREDIBLY LOW TEMPERATURES.

JUST A FEW TENS OF DEGREES ABOVE ABSOLUTE ZERO.

WHEREAS, THE HOT SIDE OF THE TELESCOPE IS ALMOST AS HOT AS AN OVEN,.

NOT QUITE.

MAYBE LIKE A BARBECUE TAUPE LOW AND SLOW.

>> HAD YOU SEEN ANYTHING YET THAT HADN'T BEEN SEEN BEFORE?

OR DO YOU HOPE TO?

>> WE SEE THINGS EVERY DOOR THAT DAY THAT HASN'T BEEN SEEN BEFORE.

WHEREVER WE POINT THE TELESCOPE WE SEE THING VERY QUICKLY THAT HASN'T BEEN SEEN SEEN BEFORE.

ONE OF THE THING I WAS STRUCK BY, AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO TAKE IMAGES OF THE SKY SO THAT EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK YOU HAVE THESE GLAKSZ IS IN THE IMMEDIATE UNIVERSE.

THEY IMMEDIATELY POP UP AND PHOTO BOMB.

NO MATTER IF YOU ARE TAKING A PICTURES OF SOMETHING ELSE, GALAXIY IS BEHIND.

>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE UNWUNT OF MOST FAMOUS IMAGES FROM HUBBLE WHICH IS MANAGED HERE AND IS SILL STILL BEING MANAGED HERE FROM THE SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS ENTIRELY, BUT THE EXPLANATION I WAS GIVEN IS THAT IF YOU TOOK A DRINKING STRAW, HELD IT UP TO A DARK PART OF THE SKY, THAT LITTLE SLIVER OF A SKY, HUBBLE WAS POINTED THERE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, AND IT'S IT SAW LOTS OF DOTS, AND WHEN YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THE DOTS WEREN'T STARS, THEY WERE ENTIRE GALAXIES.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.

WHAT I HAVE HEARD IS THAT IF YOU HOLD A GRAIN OF SAND, THAT'S THE AREA WE CAN SEE, AND THAT AREA HAS TEN 10,000 GLAKSZ IS IN IT.

WE IMHIEW THAT FROM PUBLIC ALREADY.

PUBLIC HAS BEEN DOING THAT A UBL COUPLE WEEKS BUT WITH WEBB WE SEE IN IT A COUPLE OF HOURS.

>> LET ME TELL OUR VIEWERS IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION PLEASE SEND US TO LIVEQUESTIONS@MPT.ORG.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS VERY FAR AWAY.

YOU WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET IMAGES OF AN ASTEROID COLLISION WHERE NASA INTENTIONALLY CRASHED AN OBJECT INTO AN AS TRADE FREUD.

>> YES.

>> HOW DPB ASTEROID.

>> YES.

>> HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO SEE THIS?

BECAUSE THIS EBTS WA DISPIEND FOR SPEEDY EXPOSURES.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY NAS TAU CASHED SOMETHING INTO AN ASTEROID.

IT'S EXCITING IN ITSELF.

HERE WE SEE THE IMPACT IS IMAGED BY WEBB AND YOU CAN SEE THE STREAMERS COMING OFF THE STEROID SPHROID AS FREUD.

THEY DID THIS AS DART, THE DOUBLE AS STEROID TEST.

IF THERE IS AN ASTEROID THAT IS THREATENING TO HIT THE EARTH, CAN WE HIT IT WITH SOMETHING AND DEFLECT IT OFF.

THIS IS REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THAT.

BUT, OF COURSE, IT IMIFS US A SCIENTIFIC OPPORTUNITY AS WELL, THAT WHEN YOU HIT SOMETHING INTO THAT ASTEROID AND YOU BLOW STUFF OFF OF IT, YOU CAN WE WHAT IT'S MADE OF AND WE CAN UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ASTEROID, AND WHAT'S THAT WE DID WITH WEBB, AND MANY OTHER TELESCOPES AS WELL BY THE WAY.

>> LET'S GO BACK TO THE PRETTY PICTURES.

THE NEXT ONE IS NICKNAMED COSMIC CLIFFS.

AND IT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED BY SOMETHING CALLED NEAR CAM.

NIRCAM.

>> IT'S A.

ON THE WEBB.

A PLOT OF THE PRETTY PICTURES HAS BEEN SEASON TAKEN WITH THIS CAMERA.

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

THIS IS A STELLAR NURSERY WHERE YOU HAVE, AGAIN YOU HAVE THE ORANGE RUST COLORED STUFF.

AGAIN THAT'S HYDROCARBONS WE TALKED ABOUT.

AND ABOVE IN THE BLUE AREA YOU HAVE A NUMBER REALLY HOST STARS THAT ERODE AWAY THIS MOLECULAR CLOUD, AND AS IT ERODES AWAY IT PUSHES IT DOWN AND COMPRESSES IT AND I.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE NEW STARS FORMING ALONG THIS RIDGE.

>> IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.

>> YEAH.

>> LET ME ASK ABOUT THE ARTISTIC LICENSE THAT'S INVOLVED BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOWNLOADING FROM WEBB DOESN'T INSTANTLY LOOK LIKE THAT.

>> NO.

NO, IT DOESN'T.

WE DO HAVE TO PUT COLORS TOGETHER TO MAKE THE COLORS YOU SEE, THE BLUE AND THE ORANGE, BUT IT'S NOT COMPLETELY ARBITRATOR.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE MAKE UP.

IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE AN ARTIST WITH A PAINTBRUSH THAT JUST PAINTS IT.

THESE REAL COLORS.

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INFRARED, PEOPLE THINK INFRARED IS ONE COLOR, BUT IN REALITY THERE ARE MORE INFRARED COLORS THAN THERE ARE VISIBLE COLORS.

OUR HUMAN EYE IS ACTUALLY VERY LIMITED.

SO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE TRANSLATING THE INFRARED COLORS, LIKE TRANSLATING A LANGUAGE ALMOST, TO INTO COLORS THAT OUR HUMAN EYES CAN COMPREHEND.

SO THE THEY ARE REAL COLORS.

WE JUST MIDE A TRANSLATION TO HELP PEOPLE.

>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE OTHER COSMIC CLIFFS IMAGE, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT COMPOSITE, AND WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT LET ME ASK YOU SOME EMAIL QUESTIONS HERE.

A VIEWER WANTS TO KNOW, HOW FAR BACK IN THE PAST CAN THE TELESCOPE SEE?

AND WHAT PORTION OF THE UNIVERSE OR MAYBE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE UNIVERSE IS THAT?

AND WE PROBABLY HAVE NO IDEA.

BUT DO KNOW YOU HOW FAR WE CAN SEE.

>> WE DO KNOW HOW FAR WE CAN SEE, OR PUTTING IT ANOTHER WAY, WE DO KNOW HOW OLD THE LIGHT THAT WE SEE IS.

SO THE UNIVERSE IS ABOUT 13.8 BILLION YEARS EELD, AND WITH WEBB WE CAN SEE LIGHT THAT WAS E EMITTED WHTD IEWFNS WAS MABEL 1 MILLION, 200 MILLION YEARS OLD, SO THAT'S THE MOST DISTANT OBJECTS EEBS WE CAN SEE BUT HA AWAY REALLY MEASURE IS THE LIGHT.

>> A VIEWER WANTS TO KNOW DO YOU THINK THAT THERE MAY BE SIGNS OF PAST OR PRESENT LIFE IN SPACE?

THE $64,000 QUESTION.

>> WELL, WE ARE CERTAINLY BUILDINGS OBSERVERS LIKE WEBB TO START THAT JOURNEY TO LOOK FOR THAT, AND IT'S A REALLY BIG PLACE.

I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF STARS IN THE MILKY WEIGH AND IN OTHER GALAXIES, AND WE SEE NOW WE CAN COUNT THEM, AS YOU SAID, 10,000 GALAXIES IN THIS LITTLE GRAIN OF STAND SAND UP.

AND ADD THEM ALL TEG, HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF GALAXIES.

WE KNOW EVERY STAR HAS AT LEAST ONE PLANET AROUND IT.

THAT'S A LOT OF WORLDS.

>> LET'S SKIP AHEAD AN IMAGE TOTE EXOPLANET BECAUSE THAT GETS INTO THE IDEA WHERE MIGHT THERE WHERE WE HAVE NEVERT WASN'T THAT ORG AGO WHERE WE HAD NEVER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY OBSERVED ANY PLANETS OUTSIDE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, AND THAT'S CHANGING EVERY DAY.

>> YEAH, TURNS OUT THAT WEBB, ALTHOUGH IT WAS DESIGNED TO SEE THESE DISTANCE GALAXIES, IS ACTUALLY A FANTASTIC MACHINE TO UNDERSTAND PLANETS AROUND STARS.

THIS IS ACTUALLY A DIRECT IMAGE OF A PLANET ORBITING ANOTHER STAR AND IT USES A TECHNIQUE CALLED COR NOTHINGOGRAPHY WHERE YOU BLOCK OUT THE LITE OF THE CENTRAL STAR TO REVEAL ANY KIND OF FAINT PLANETS HAR AROUND IT.

THIS ONE HERE IS A FAIRLY LARGE PLANET.

IT'S EVERLY SEVERAL TIMES THE SIZE OF JUPITER AND IT'S ONLY THE FIRST ONE WHERE WE HAVE AN IMAGE LIKE THIS, BUT WE FIND WE'RE DOING EVEN BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED, SO I THINK WE'LL SEE A LOT MORE PLANETS LIKE THIS.

>> A VIEWER WHO KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE NIR SPEC INSTRUMENT ON THE SPIRKS THAT ARE SHOWN.

THAT'S AN INSTRUMENT HAS THAT IS ALMOST NEVER MENTIONED.

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THANKS FOR THAT.

>> YOUR PUBLIC TV SPRIEWRS.

>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

SO THE NIR SPEC INSTRUMENT IS AN INSTRUMENT THAT CAN TAKE SPECTRA OF DISTANT GALAXIES.

A SPECTRUM IS WHERE YOU BREAK UP THE LIGHT INTO ITS INDIVIDUAL COLORS AND THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE WHAT THINGS ARE MADE OF.

AND IT'S A TECHNIQUE THAT YOU CAN USE TO MEASURE HOW OLD THE LIGHT IS, SO HOW DISTANT GALAXIES ARE.

AND WITH NIR SPEC YOU CAN TAKE A SPECTRUM OF 100 DISTANT GALAXIES AT THE SAME TIME.

AND IT'S EXTREMELY SENSITIVE.

SO WE USED IT ALREADY TOENAIL DOWN AND SAY, WELL, THIS GALAXY, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S REALLY DISTANT BUT WE DON'T KNOW YOU.

SPEAK TAKE A SPECK FORUM AND YOU CAN SAY THIS SAYS LITE THAT IS ACTUALLY 13.2 BILLION YEARS EXACTLY.

>> A VIEWER WANTS TO KNOW IF THE HUBBLE HAS BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY PLANETS THAT MAY HAVE WATERED ON THEM.

, WATER ON THEM.

YOU CAN TELL FROM THAT IMAGE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE SPECTRUM.

CAN YOU TELL WHAT IT'S MADE OF?

>> YEAH, BUT YOU NEED SPECTRUM TO DO THAT, AND HUBBLE HAS SEEN INDICATIONS OF WATER ALREADY IN SOME COMPOPLANETS.

WHAT WEBB DID, DIDN'T EXOPLANETS AND THE WEBB HAS ALSO SEEN EXOPLANETS WATER AND MUSICAL.

IT IS MUCH BETTER TO EXPLAIN THE ZOO OF PLANETS SO IT'S EASIER TO SEE THE REALLY BIG PLANETS.

THERE ARE BIG PLANETS AND SMALL PLANETS AND.

LET'S CLOSE TO THE STAR, PLANETS AS FAR FROM THE STAR.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE ZOO.

>> WE'LL STIP BACK FOR NET IMAGE TO THE ONE WE -- NEXT IMAGE TO THE ONE WE SKIPPED WHICH IS DEEPEST INFRARED NUMBER 6.

BUT A VIEWER WRANTS TO KNOW LIKE A CAMERA -- WANTS TO KNOW LIKE A CAMERA, WEBB TAKES JUST A SLICE OF THE UNIVERSE.

CUSS DOES IT ROTATE AROUND TO TAKE THE ENTIRE 360-DEGREE PICTURES OR JUST SLICES?

>> WEBB JUST SEES TINY, TINY BITS OF UNIVERSE.

IF YOU WERE TO TAKE A WEBB IMAGE OF THE ENTIRE SKY,IT WOULD TAKE HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

THE SKY IS REALLY HUGE.

SO WHAT WEBB IS DOING IS REALLY TO LOOK AT SMALL PARTS OF THE SKY.

>> LET'S DIG INTO THAT.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED BEFORE, THE SMALLEST SMALL PART OF THE SKY THAT'S BEEN IMAGED BEFORE.

AND YOU MAY NOTICE IN THERE, THERE ARE CURVED OBJECTS.

IT'S AN EFFECT.

THERE'S THE BIG STAR THAT'S VISIBLE.

IF YOU LOOK DOWN A LITTLE BIT FROM THAT, YOU SEE SOMETHING WITH CURVATURE WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS A LENS BUT IT'S NOTE A PHYSICAL LENS.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> RIGHT.

SO WHAT THIS IS AN IMAGE OF IS REALLY A GALAXY CLUSTER.

SO THE WHITE CIFNED THINGS, THAT'S PART OF A MAS IS I HAVE GALAXY CLUSTER AND BECAUSE OF THAT MASS IT HAS, IT TWISTS THE SPACE TIME AROUND IT.

AND WHEN YOU 2026 THE SPACE TIME, IF I -- WHEN YOU 2026 THE SPACE TIME ANY LIGHT IN THE GALAXIES GET ROUTED AROUND JUST LIKE YOU TAKE A WINE GLASS AND YOU LOOK THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF IT, YOU CAN SEE THINGS DISTORT.

IT'S THE SAME THING HERE.

YOU DO NOT HAVE A GLASS.

YOU HAVE MASS.

IT'S CALLED A GAVETATION A LENS.

EXIT HAS THE ADDED EFFECT THAT IT ENHANCES THE LIGHT OF THE GANT EVER DISTANT GALAXIES.

IT MAKES THEM APPEAR BIGGER AND IT MAKES THEM BRIGHTER.

SO IT'S LIKE NATURE'S TELESCOPE.

IT GIVES AUN EXTRA BOOST YOU.

POINT TO A GALAXY CLUSTER LIKE THIS AND YOU GET THIS EXTRA BOOST TO SEE THE MOST DISTANT THINGS.

>> ELIZABETH WANTS TO KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL COPERNICUS IF HE ASKED WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE LATEST DISCOVERIES?

>> OH, WOW.

I THINK COPERNICUS WOULD BE EXCITED TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A PLANETARY SYSTEM AROUND EVERY STAR.

>> EVERY STAR?

>> PRACTICALLY EVERY.

I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME STARS THAT DON'T HAVE IT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT OVERALL, IT SEEMS EVERY STAR AT LEAST ONE PLANET AROUND IT.

>> AND THAT MEANS IF THERE'S HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF STARS, GALAXIES, THE DOLLARS ON ODDS OF SOMETHING ELSE HAVING DEVELOPED SOME FORM OF LIVE, EVEN BASIC LIFE GOES WAY UP.

>> IT'S A BIG PLACE, RIGHT?

SO IT WOULD BE STRANGE IF WE WERE THE ONLY ONES.

I FIND THAT ODD.

AN ODD THOUGHT.

SO LET'S KEEP LOOKING.

>> IF I.

VIEWERS WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WEBB, IF THEY WANT IS ON TO SEE MORE OF THESE IMAGES CAN ALWAYS GO TOTH THEM, WHAT'S THE BEST RESOURCE FOR THAT?

>> YOU CAN ALSO GO TO NASA.COM WEBSITE.

YOU CAN GO TO WEBTELESCOPE.ORG.

SO THAT'S A WEBSITE THAT HAS ALL THE IMAGES AND HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES THAT ALLOWS TO YOU REALLY CIG DIG INTO THEM.

>> IN A SENTENCE HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO LOOK AT NEXT.

>> SO WEBB IS A TELESCOPE THAT IS USED BY THOUSANDS ASTRONOMERS AROUND THE WORLD AND THEY DECIDE WHAT TOO LOOK AT THE TIME MOST SCIENTIFICALLY INTERESTING THING IS.

>> MAY BE WE'LL COME BACK IN A YEAR.

>> VERY WELCOME.

>> CLAUS OF THE WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE.

THIRD, THANKS FOR THE TIME.

>> Jeff: BARRACK BECOMING FREDERICK DOWTION PREMIERES TORM AT MPT.

TONIGHT TURNING BACK THE CLOCK IN A HALL WHERE MR. DOUGLASS ONCE SPOKE.

HERE'S SUE KOPEN.

>> YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT RIGHT IN THIS SPOT.

>> Sue: THE PAST BECOMES PRESENT FOR DR. ED WITHIN JOHNS SPEAKING WHERE FREDERICK DOUGLASS SPOKE TO IN 1854.

>> TO THINK WHERE HE GOT TO THE SPOT.

GREATNESS ISN'T EASY BUT IT IS POSSIBLE.

THERE IS HOPE.

>> Sue: THIS IS THE MAIN SANCTUARY OF THE HISTORIC MOUNT MORIAH AME CHURCH IN ANNAPOLIS AND HOME SINCE 1984 TO THE BAT AGER DOUGLASS MUSEUM.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE ABOUT HISTORIC BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS SAYING EARLIER, YOU CAN ACTUALLY KIND OF SIT IN THOSE SPACES AND FRY TO IMAGINE 1-800-WAS LIKE 100, 150 YEARS AGO.

>> Sue: RENOVATIONS ARE NOW NEARLY COMPLETE IN THE SANCTUARY NOW KNOWN AS FOR THE LATE BALTIMORE SENATOR WHO WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN ELECTED TO MARYLAND'S STATE SENATE.

IT WAS HERE THAT FREDERICK DOUGLASS ADDRESS AID CROWD FOR THE DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH 148 YEARS AGO.

>> WHEN YOU WALK INTO THAT SPACE AND IT JUST TAKES ME BACK.

I JUST TRY TO IMAGINE WHAT HE WAS THINKING.

AND IF YOU CAN CONSIDER THE TIME AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 1874 FOR PEOPLE OF CROR COLOR AND EVEN WHITES BECAUSE AGAIN THIS MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IS WHAT DOES FREEDOM MEAN.

>> Sue: JOHNSON IS THE VICE IR CHAFTS MARYLAND COMMISSION ON AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, THE FIRST COMMISSION OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY.

>> TOO OFTENTIMES WHEN THERE'S A TEFLG AMERICAN HISTORY, WHEN THERE'S A TELLING OF THE STATE OR ANNAPOLIS HISTORY, TOO OFTEN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IS OMITTED, AND TO A LARGER EXTENT FOLKS DON'T NOTICE TO SHARE IT, SO IT'S NOT EVEN AN INTENTIONAL YOU DON'T MATTER.

IT'S WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW THE STORY.

SO A GOOD PART OF THE WORK THAT WE DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR NOT KNOWING THE STORY.

>> Sue: A DOZEN YEARS AGO THE COMMISSION PARTNERED WITH MARYLAND HISTORICAL INDUSTRIOUS FROM US WHICH PROVIDED A $100 MILLION GRANT TO PROVIDE PROJECTS LIKE MARYLAND MUSEUM TO PRESERVE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC SITES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

>> AND NEXT YEAR THERE'S AN APPROPRIATION THAT WILL ALLOW THAT $1 MILLION GRANT TO INCREASE BY $4 MILLION SO THERE WILL BE $5 MILLION ANNUALLY.

>> Sue: MONEY WHICH JOHNSON SAYS WILL HELP THE COMMISSION COULD DO WHAT WE HE CALLS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR JOB GLEES ENTER THIS SPACE IN TIME WHERE PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING EVERYTHING, THERE'S ACTUALLY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT YOU CAN WALK TO, THAT YOU CAN TOUCH, YOU CAN WALK AROUND AND LOOK AND YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO SIT IN THE SPACE, TO WALK IN THE SPACE, TO WORK IN THIS FIELD, TO SLEEP IN THIS FACILITY OR SHELTER 200, 250 YEARS AGO.

THE MORE WE KNOW ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, THE BETTER IT IS FOR EVERYONE.

>> Sue: IN ANNAPOLIS, I'M SUE KOPEN.

>> Jeff: AND JOINING US NOW IS LYNNE ROBINSON, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER HARRIET TUBMAN VISIONS OF FREEDOM & BECOMING FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THESE WERE GIGANTIC PROJECTS.

HOW DID YOU SEE THE MISSION IN COMPLEENT THESE FILMS?

>> Lynne Robinson: I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT IS LESSON AS A PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/FILMMAKER, YOU CAN EXPECT IT TO BE ONE THING AND THEN IT ALWAYS TURNS INTO SOMETHING ELSE.

SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WHEN THIS STARTED, WHEN THE PROJECT REALLY STARTED GETTING GOING ON THE FILMMAKING SIDE IN 2019, NO ONE COULD HAVE ENVISIONED THE PANDEMIC COMING, SO THERE WAS A DIFFERENT -- YOU KNOW, THAT DEFINITELY CHANGED THE SCHEDULE, THE DYNAMIC, THE WAY IN WHICH THIS WAS DONE.

BUT I THINK THE GOAL, WHICH WE DID TRY TO VERY MUCH STICK TO, WAS TO REALLY TELL THE STORIES OF HARRIET TUBMAN AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS BUT TO DO IT IN A WAY HA WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO GET INFORMATION, I SHOULD SAY, THAT WAS A BUILT LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE TYPICALLY HERE.

THESE ARE TWO GIANT FIGURES IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

I THINK ALL OF US THINK WE KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT HARRIET TUBMAN AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST GOALS WERE TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DIVE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER AND TELL A STORY A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ABOUT THESE INDIVIDUALS.

I MEAN, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO, OF COURSE, EXPECT TO HEAR, BUT WE DID WANT TO TRY TO GET SOME NUGGETS IN THERE THAT FOLKS DON'T TYPICALLY HEAR ABOUT.

>> Jeff: IF I CAN, GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF HOW -- YOUR PERSONAL PERCEPTIONS OF EITHER OF THESE GREAT AMERICANS MIGHT HAVE EVOLVED FROM WHAT WE ALL LEARNED IN GRADE SCHOOL.

>> Lynne Robinson: SURE.

WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK FOR FREDERICK DOUGLASS, LET'S SEE START WITH HIM AND HIS STORY, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T REALIZED WAS THAT HE WAS THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED MAN IN THE 19th CENTURY, BLACK OR WHITE, ACROSS THE BOARD, AND I THINK THAT WAS JUST FASCINATING TO LEARN ABOUT HOW HE WAS ABLE TO REALLY USE HIS IMAGE TO TRY TO HELP CHANGE THE VIEW OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND OF BLACKS IN THE ENSLAVED AS WELL AS FREE BLACKS IN AMERICA.

AND I THINK HE TOOK THAT VERY SERIOUSLY IN TRYING TO REALLY CREATE THE NARRATIVE THAT HE WANTED AMERICA AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW AND TO UNDERSTAND AND WHAT THAT ROLE PLAYED IN NOT ONLY HIS FUTURE AND THE WORK THAT HE DID BUT IN HIS HELP REALLY WITH ENDING SLAVERY.

FOR EMANCIPATION.

THAT WOULD BE I WOULD SAY FOR FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

FOR HARRIET TUBMAN WE TALK -- WE KNEW THAT HE SHE WAS IN THEORY ILLITERATE BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T REALIZED REALLY WAS YES, MAYBE SHE COULD NOT READ AND WRITE IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE BUT SHE WAS VERY LITERATE IN TERMS OF THE TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHY OF MARYLAND.

AND SHE WAS EXTREMELY SMART.

AND SHE WAS A STRATEGIST IN MANY WAYS NOT ONLY IN THE WORK THAT SHE DID TO HELP FREE INDIVIDUALS BY THE RUNNING TO FREEDOM THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD BUT ALSO IN HER WORK IN THE CIVIL WAR AS WELL AS HER LATER LIFE, TOO, AND JUST REALLY THE STRATEGIES THAT SHE TOOK JUST TO LEARN SKILLS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON AROUND HER SO THAT SHE COULD DO THE WORK THAT SHE FELT SNEED TO DO.

>> -- SHE NEEDED TO DO.

>> AS YOU WERE PRODUCING THESE FILMS, HOW MUCH WERE YOU FOCUSED ON, YES, THEY'RE GOING TO RUN NEELINGS PBS AND BE SEEN BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE BUT THEY ALSO THEMSELVES BECOME A PART OF RECORD GOING FORWARD.

THERE'S GOING TO BE A SECOND LIFE IN CLASSROOMS FOR A GENERATION OR MORE.

>> Lynne Robinson: YEAH, I MEAN, THAT WAS VERY TOP OF MIND AS YOU JUST SAID.

I THINK THAT BECAUSE THESE WERE DOCUMENTARIES AND WE KNEW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LIVE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME AND WE WORKED ALONGSIDE WITH MPT'S EDUCATION DIVISION AND SAW SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY WERE AND ARE DOING, I THINK THAT THAT BECAME REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS RIGHT, THAT ALL OF THE INFORMATION WAS RIGHT, THAT -- YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT OF MYTHOLOGY AROUND HARRIET TUBMAN AND SLAVERY IN GENERAL NOT ONLY IN MARYLAND BUT IN AMERICA AS WELL, AND I THINK THAT WAS REALLY CRITICAL IN MAKING SURE THERE WAS THE ACCURATE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SHE HELPED TO FREE INSTEAD OF SOME OF THE MYTHOLOGY AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT IN MARYLAND THERE WERE NOT COTTON CROPS THAT THE SLAVES WERE PICKING, AND THOSE NUANCES THAT TO SOME NIGHT MIGHT NOT MATTER BUT FOR US IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET IT RIGHT.

>> Jeff: LYNN LYNNE ROBINSONY ROBINSON, CONGRATULATIONS.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Lynne Robinson: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Jeff: NOW FOR MORE INFORMATION WITH THE TWO FILMS VISIT TUBMANDOUGLASSSPIMS FILMS.ORG.

WE'RE BRACK FRIDAY WITH "STATE CIRCLE" AND THE LATEST ON MARYLAND POLITICS.

JOINS FOR THAT FRIDAY EVENING AT 7:00.

DO REMEMBER TO FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @MPTNEWS.

AND TUNE IN WEDNESDAY EVENING AT 7:00 FOR THE MARYLAND GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE.

NOW, FOR ALL OF US AT MPT, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING "DIRECT CONNECTION" AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN