All upcoming Astronomy & Space programs

Theoretical physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll is known for his unique approach to sharing physics with a broad audience. Drawing on his new book Quanta and Fields, he takes on quantum field theory—how modern physics describes nature at its most profound level. He offers accessible, straightforward perspectives on topics from why matter is solid to the sizes of atoms to why the predictions of quantum field theory are so spectacularly successful.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has begun a 20-year mission of observation that promises to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Kelly Beatty, senior editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, reveals how astronomers are using the telescope’s state-of-the-art instruments and enormous optical system to detect extremely faint infrared objects from both the very near and very distant universe—information that can help in identifying the earliest stars and galaxies to form after the Big Bang and in exploring the planetary systems of other stars.

Attempts to answer the questions “How did life on Earth begin?” and “Are we alone in the universe?” have opened extraordinarily vibrant and dynamic frontiers of investigation. Astrophysicist Mario Livio examines how the quest for cosmic life follows two parallel, independent lines of research: laboratory studies aimed at determining if life can emerge from pure chemistry, and advanced astronomical observations searching for signs of life beyond Earth.