James Webb Space Telescope discoveries will be the main program topic for the San Juan Stargazers’ monthly meetings except when we have guest speakers. Tom Hanchet, from Apollo mission control, will speak in June.
Our first James Webb Space Telescope discoveries program was on April 2, and it deserved many, many superlatives.
Joan Mieritz selected a 40-minute film created by and presented by the European Space Agency as a “Christmas gift” to Europe on Dec. 25, 2025.
It showed the movement of the telescope as it was lining up to photograph 30 new discoveries. For 40 minutes, we slowly traveled through deep space.
In preparing the program I got to watch the film eight times with never a boring moment. As each celestial site was in perfect view, its name silently appeared on the screen. Many of these sites have never been seen before and were not named, so no one knew about them.
A few of the sites had been photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. With those, the amazement was the extraordinary improvement in what could be seen and distinguished because of the infrared equipment.
When the 40 minutes was over, there were so many questions, but also silence in absolute wonder with what we had just seen. We couldn’t decide if we should talk about the most recent site or go back to the beginning or just sit there speechless.
We slowly started with questions, but everyone was overwhelmed.
The next meeting of the San Juan Stargazers will be at the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis St. There is a parking lot and convenient side door into the kitchen. The main front doors to the sanctuary remain locked. The meeting will be on Thursday, May 7, and will begin at 6 p.m. with our social hour for visiting and snacks.
At 7 p.m., our program will begin. We will continue where we ended on April 2. The plan is to study four or five sites at a time using the many books that Mieritz has, ones the club has recently purchased or many James Webb websites available.
There is so much information from the James Webb, and it is committed to sharing everything discovered to the general public. Mieritz made the comment a few years ago that James Webb discoveries would help keep her alive for extra years to see all the discoveries. She is totally enjoying this project and will do the best job possible to have interactive teaching and learning.
We will travel through deep space with all its wonder, flowing from one amazing sight to the next. When we’ve traveled enough then we will study together the various sights we have seen. Some scenes are totally new, but many have never been seen with the Webb’s infrared telescope and camera. We may compare the views from the Hubble with the views from the Webb. We will study what makes each location significant and unique. There will be time for sharing information, questions, discussions, breaks and surprises.
The room is large and has a big TV. We will move from the tables to chairs in front of the screen and it will be dark. I’m hoping it will be exciting and, of course, educational, since it is some of the newest information available about our amazing universe. It should be as great of an experience as possible but, there are limitations since we’re in a building on Earth. You do have to contribute your imagination and enthusiasm to put the frosting on the cake.
Join the Stargazers
If you would like to join the San Juan Stargazers, you will also receive a regular hard copy of Reflector Magazine, which is the publication of the National Astronomical League of which you automatically become a member when joining the club.
Make sure that we have your mailing address to get the magazine. The Astronomical League makes it so we do not just belong to a small-town-sized club, but to a national astronomy club with thousands of members and wonderful active opportunities and competitions, awards and rewards.
To join both groups and get an excellent magazine, check at the meeting or go to our website. Also ask about our new “Service” membership.
You can join the club at any of our meetings or on our website. Check out our continuously changing website, sanjuanstargazers.org, with new information and spectacular photos.
We hope to see you for this exciting and educational program. We can be your connection to our extraordinary universe, and we want to help you learn as much as possible so you are appropriately amazed.
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