Stibbs Lecture - The Quest For Cosmic Dawn: Results from the James Webb Space Telescope
The first billion years after the Big Bang represent the final frontier in assembling a complete picture of cosmic history. During this period it is conjectured that early galaxies formed and the universe first became bathed in starlight. How and when did all this occur?
Recent progress with the James Webb Space Telescope suggests we may soon witness this dramatic period when the universe emerged from darkness. The motivation is fundamental: the origin of starlight began the chemical evolution which ultimately led to our own existence in this remarkable universe.
Professor Richard Ellis CBE FRS, University College London.
About the speaker
Professor Richard Ellis CBE FRS, University College London.
Richard Ellis is Professor of Astrophysics at University College London (UCL). A Welshman by birth, he was educated at UCL and Oxford prior to moving to Durham where, over 19 years, he established a major group in observational astronomy. After a period as Director of the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, he spent 16 years at the California Institute of Technology where he served as Director of the Caltech Optical Observatories with responsibility for operating the Palomar and Keck telescopes. He returned to UCL in 2017.
Richard’s research has ranged from studies of galaxy evolution to fundamental measurements in cosmology using supernovae, gravitational lensing and large scale structure. More recently he has exploited the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes to search for “cosmic dawn” - the period when the first galaxies emerged from darkness.
Richard’s work has been recognised by many awards including the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Royal Medal of the Royal Society and, most recently, the Gruber Cosmology Prize. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Australian and US National Academies of Science and was awarded a CBE for his contributions to international science.
About the Stibbs Lecture
The Professor Walter Stibbs Lectureship commemorates the achievements of Professor Stibbs through an annual lecture by a distinguished astronomer of international standing.