Professor Chris Howk, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame | Physics and Astronomy

Galaxies like our own Milky Way are constantly changing—stars are born from clouds of gas, emit the light we see in the night sky, and ultimately create and release the elements from which we are all made. However, maintaining this constantly changing cycle is a delicate balancing act—gas must flow from the outskirts of galaxies to form new stars, while the life-giving elements formed by stars must also be spread throughout the galaxy.

Prof. Chris Howk describes how Notre Dame astronomers are working to understand this balance using NASA’s newly-commissioned James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This will include a discussion of some of the most recent images taken by this remarkable new observatory, as well as goals of upcoming studies.

This lecture was given on September 13, 2022 at the St. Joseph County Public Library as part of the Our Universe Revealed series, hosted by the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University South Bend, and the St. Joseph County Public Library.