Thursday

The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in 2018 offers a powerful springboard for public engagement with STEM in the UK. Sometimes framed as ‘the successor to Hubble’, JWST is an audacious feat of engineering which will address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and produce iconic imagery just as Hubble did. There is already keen public interest in JWST, and the mission also offers a compelling - and local - human story. From the cutting-edge technology of the spacecraft, telescope and instruments to the ground-breaking science afforded by its unprecedented infrared capabilities, UK engineers and scientists have made and will continue to make huge contributions to JWST. We are planning a national public engagement campaign for the UK to develop, coordinate and maximise the impact of engagement activity around JWST. In this talk, I will discuss our top-level priorities and early planning for the campaign, as well as how the campaign can best partner with the UK astronomy community in this work.