The University of Kansas’ Yoni Brande will discuss the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, and its potential influence on astrophysics, at the annual Ruckman Public Lecture, 7 p.m. Oct. 15. The presentation will be hosted at the Nebraska Union Auditorium and on Zoom.

Set to launch on Dec. 18, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will allow scientists to investigate the universe in the infrared, a band of light invisible to the human eye. Much of the infrared is not visible from Earth-based observatories or with the Hubble Space Telescope, said Brande, a former researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

For the past 30 years, the Hubble telescope has inspired the world with stunning images of the cosmos. The Webb telescope, which is roughly 100 times more powerful than the Hubble, will continue that legacy for the next generation, Brande said.

The free public talk is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education.