When: Mondays, 1:30 PM – 3:30 pm | April 10 – May 15
Where: In-Person at NEC Carriage House, Room 16
Instructor: Curtiss Rude | Facilitator: Don Melander

Much has been learned in the field of astronomy in the past six years. New information has been discovered and new questions posed by telescopes, interplanetary probes, automated full-sky surveys, and gravitational wave detectors. Surprising new images of the early universe from the James Webb Space telescope (JWST) show the universe as it existed as far back as less than 400 million years after the Big Bang. We will explore the technology behind these scientific advancements, look at some of the images and other data that have been generated, and learn about their implications for our understanding of the universe and our place in it.

Curtiss Rude worked in the semiconductor industry in Essex Junction, Vermont, for 20+ years. His second career was as a high school chemistry and physics teacher. Upon retiring in 2012, he took up astronomy as a hobby. He previously taught a LINEC course on astronomy in fall 2016.