Close Modal Beyond the Telescope: Observing the Universe's Cosmic Dawn with JWST Journey to the outermost reaches of our observable universe in this immersive Planetarium program featuring MIT astrophysicist Christina Eilers, PhD. Using real data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), travel back in time to seek the surroundings of the Universe’s most luminous and hungry objects – quasars. Image Join astrophysicist and MIT professor Dr. Christina Eilers on an expedition to the most distant regions of our universe featuring real data from the revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope, and the cutting-edge technology and immersive data visualization systems of the Planetarium. In the last four years, JWST has helped us explore some of the brightest and most distant objects in the universe – quasars. Observing these extremely active supermassive black holes and the galaxies that surround them can help us piece together how these cosmic monsters form in the first place, and their role in shaping entire galactic ecosystems. Whether you're a space enthusiast, science lover, or simply curious about the unknown, this groundbreaking program blends science, technology, and creativity to illuminate our knowledge of the cosmos.Reception with light refreshments and cash bar will open following the program. This event is free, thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. Register for the Event Date and Time Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 7:00 – 10:00 pm Audience 9-12th grades (High school), Adults 18+ Location Charles Hayden Planetarium View Map Price Free with Pre-Registration Language English Register for the Event Date and Time Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 7:00 – 10:00 pm Audience 9-12th grades (High school), Adults 18+ Location Charles Hayden Planetarium View Map Price Free with Pre-Registration Language English Join astrophysicist and MIT professor Dr. Christina Eilers on an expedition to the most distant regions of our universe featuring real data from the revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope, and the cutting-edge technology and immersive data visualization systems of the Planetarium. In the last four years, JWST has helped us explore some of the brightest and most distant objects in the universe – quasars. Observing these extremely active supermassive black holes and the galaxies that surround them can help us piece together how these cosmic monsters form in the first place, and their role in shaping entire galactic ecosystems. Whether you're a space enthusiast, science lover, or simply curious about the unknown, this groundbreaking program blends science, technology, and creativity to illuminate our knowledge of the cosmos.Reception with light refreshments and cash bar will open following the program. This event is free, thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. Featuring Image Dr. Christina Eilers Christina Eilers is an astrophysicist and Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on how massive black holes form and evolve across cosmic time, exploring their origins and the role they play in shaping our universe. She works with multi-wavelength data from a wide range of ground- as well as space-based observatories, including NASA’s revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope. She completed her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, and was subsequently awarded a Fellowship from NASA to continue her research. Her work has been recognized with several honors, including the PhD Prize of the International Astronomical Union and the Ludwig Biermann Prize of the German Astronomical Society. Developed in Partnership with Image OpenSpace is funded in part by NASA under award No NNX16AB93A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
