Astronomy Talk: Exploring the Ice Giants with Keck Observatory and Other Telescopes

Guest Speaker

Heidi Hammel

Vice President for Science

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)

During the late 1980s, our understanding of the local ice giants – Uranus and Neptune – was revolutionized by detailed images taken by the Voyager spacecraft. However, those images were static: brief snapshots in time of complex and dynamic systems. Recently, our knowledge of these giant planets has undergone striking new advances. In this talk, Dr. Hammel will bring you up to date on these planets, discussing her results from the Hubble Space Telescope program, imaging from Keck Observatory’s telescopes, and other observations. She will also discuss her team’s plans to use the just-launched James Webb Space Telescope for ice giant studies.

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W. M. Keck Observatory wishes to offer our deepest gratitude to our Astronomy Talk Series sponsors, Rob and Terry Ryan.