Circular Astronomy
Twitter List – See all the findings and discussions in one place
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How to Download, View, And Edit Images from the James Webb Space Telescope with Jdaviz and Imviz
Like to comfortably view and edit images from the Jamew Webb Space Telescope like an astronomer ?
Then follow this step by step cheatsheet guides if you are using windows on a PC .
Main Software Components
There are three key software components required:
- Microsoft C++ 14
- Jupyter Notebook (Python)
- Jdaviz
Additonal
- MAST Token to be able to download the images with Imviz.
Prerequsites:
Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater
error: Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater is required If Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater is not installed, the installation of Jdaviz will fail. Without Jdaviz the downloaded images from the James Webb Space Telescope cannot be edited.
How to install Microsoft Visual C++
- Navigate to: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/
- Download Visual Studio 2022 Community version
- Follow the instructions in this post: Install C and C++ support in Visual Studio | Microsoft Docs
Cheatsheet: Install Visual Studio 2022 MAST Token
- Navigate to https://ssoportal.stsci.edu/token
If you do not have not an account yet, please follow below steps to create your account:
- Click on the Forgotten Password? link
- Enter your email Adress
- Click Send Reset Email Button
- Click Create Account Button
- Click Launch Button
- Enter the Captcha
- Click Submit Button
- Enter your email
- Click Next Button
- Fill in the Name Form
- Click Next Button
- Fill in the Insitution (e.g. Private Citizen or Citizen Scientist)
- Click Accept Institution Button
- Enter Job Title (whatever you are or like to be ;-))
- Click Next Button
- New Account Data for your review is presented, in case of missing contact data, step 17 might be necessary
- Fill in Contact Information Form
- Click Next Button
- Click Create Account Button
- In your email account open the reset password emal
- Click on the link
- Enter Password
- Enter Retype Password
- Click Update Password
- Navigate to https://ssoportal.stsci.edu/token
- Now log on with your email and new account password
- Click Create Token Button
- Fill in a Token Name of your choice
- Click Create Token Button
- Copy the Token Number and save it for later use in Imviz to download the images from the James Webb Space Telescope
Quite a lot of steps for a Token.
Cheatsheet: Create MAST Account 
Cheatsheet: Set Passord for new Account 
Cheatsheet: Create MAST Token for use in Imviz Jupyter Notebook
Jupyter notebook comes with the ananconda distribution.
- Navigate to: https://www.anaconda.com/products/distribution#windows
- Follow the instructions at: https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/windows/
Install Jdaviz
- Navigate to: Installation — jdaviz v2.7.2.dev6+gd24f8239
- Open the Jupyter Notebook
- Open Terminal from Jupyter Notebook
- Follow the instruction in: Installation — jdaviz v2.7.2.dev6+gd24f8239
Cheatsheet: Install Jdaviz How to use IMVIZ
Imviz is installed together with Jdaviz.
Following steps to take in order to use Imviz:
- Navigate to: GitHub – orifox/jwst_ero: JWST ERO Analysis Work
- Click Code Button
- Click Download Zip
- If you do not have unzip, then the next steps might work for you:
- In Download Folder (PC) click the jwst_ero master zip file
- Then click on the folder jwst_ero master
- Copy file MIRI_Imviz_demo.jpynb
- Paste the file in the download folder
- Open Jupyter notebook
- Click Upload Button
- Select the file MIRI_Imviz_demo.jpynb
- Click Open Button
- Select the file MIRI_Imviz_demo.jpynb in the Jupyter Notebook file list
- Click View Button
- Click Run Button First Cell
- Paste MAST Token in next cell
- Click Run Button of this Cell
- Click then Run Button of next Cell
- Click Run Button of the following Cell
- Click Run Button of the next Cell to download the images
- Copy the link to the downloaded image file
- Past link into the First Cell in 3. Load and Manipulate Data
- Do the same in the next Cell
- Click Run Button of the Cell to open Imviz
- Click Run Button on the next Cell to load images in Imviz
Cheatsheet: Upload MIRI_Imviz_demo.jpynb in Jupyter notebook Now all set to download the images of the JWST observation:
Cheatsheet: Download JWST images with Imviz And now all is set to open and edit the images in Imviz
Cheatsheet: Open Images in Imviz And finally you are ready to follow the video tutorials in order to learn how to use Imviz to manipulate the JWST images.
Video Tutorials for Imviz:
And this is the master Ori Fox of the Imviz demo notebook file if you like to follow him on Twitter
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Time for a new scientific debate – Accretion vs Convection
To what degree is gravity needed to form structures in space? While many believe that celestial bodies (stars, planets, moons, meteoroids) can only form through gravitational attraction in the vacuum of space, I believe that these bodies form through a thermodynamic process similar to the formation of hydrometeors (e.g., hail). This is because our solar system possesses a boundary layer, a discovery made by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission in 2013.
In simple terms: Planets, moons, and small bodies are formed within convection cells created by the jet streams of a young sun, under the influence of strong magnetic fields.
Recently, a new paper introduced quantum models in which gravity emerges from the behavior of qubits or oscillators interacting with a heat bath.
More details and link to the research paper: On the Quantum Mechanics of Entropic Forces
https://circularastronomy.com/2025/10/09/entropic-gravity-explained-how-quantum-thermodynamics-could-replace-gravitons/ -
The Mysterious Discovery of JWST That No One Saw Coming
Are We Inside a Cosmic Whirlpool? Recent JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) observations of mysterious cosmological anomalies in the rotational patterns of galaxies challenge our understanding of the universe and reveal surprising connections to natural growth patterns.
The rotation of 263 galaxies has been studied by Lior Shamir of Kansas State University, with 158 rotating clockwise and 105 rotating counterclockwise. The number of galaxies rotating in the opposite direction relative to the Milky Way is approximately 1.5 times higher than those rotating in the same direction.
New Cosmological anomalies that challenge our cosmological models and would have angered Einstein.
This observation challenges the expectation of a random distribution of galaxy rotation directions in the universe based on the isotropy assumption of the Cosmological Principle.
This is certainly not something Einstein would have liked to hear during his lifetime, but it would have excited Johannes Kepler.
What does this mean for our cosmological models, and why would it make Johannes Kepler happy?
The 1.5 ratio in galaxy rotation bias is intriguingly close to the Golden Ratio of 1.618. The Golden Ratio was one of Johannes Kepler’s two favorites. The astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) referred to the Golden Ratio as one of the “two great treasures of geometry” (the other being the Pythagorean theorem). He noted its connection to the Fibonacci sequence and its frequent appearance in nature.
What is the Fibonacci sequence?
The Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, introduced the world to a fascinating sequence in his 1202 book Liber Abaci (The Book of Calculation). This sequence, now famously known as the Fibonacci sequence, was presented through a hypothetical problem involving the growth of a rabbit population.
The growth of a rabbit population and why it matters?
Fibonacci posed the following question: Suppose a pair of rabbits can reproduce every month starting from their second month of life. If each pair produces one new pair every month, how many pairs of rabbits will there be after a year?
The solution unfolds as follows:
- In the first month, there is 1 pair of rabbits.
- In the second month, there is still 1 pair (not yet reproducing).
- In the third month, the original pair reproduces, resulting in 2 pairs.
- In the fourth month, the original pair reproduces again, and the first offspring matures and reproduces, resulting in 3 pairs.
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FibonacciRabbit.svg
This pattern continues, with each new generation adding to the total, where each term is the sum of the two preceding terms.
The Fibonacci sequence generated is: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, …
While this idealized model of a rabbit population assumes perfect conditions—no sickness, death, or other factors limiting reproduction—it reveals a growth pattern that approaches the Golden Ratio as the sequence progresses. The ratio is determined by dividing the current population by the previous population. For example, if the current population is 55 and the previous population is 34, based on the Fibonacci sequence above, the ratio of 55/34 is approximately 1.618.
However, in reality, the growth rate of a rabbit population would likely fall below this mathematical ideal ratio due to natural constraints.Yet, this growth (evolutionary) pattern appears quite often in nature, such as in the growth patterns of succulents.
The growth patterns in succulents often follow the Fibonacci sequence, as seen in the arrangement of their leaves, which spiral around the stem in a way that maximizes sunlight exposure. This spiral phyllotaxis reflects Fibonacci numbers, where the number of spirals in each direction typically corresponds to consecutive terms in the sequence.
Spiral galaxies exhibit a similar growth (evolutionary) pattern in their spiral arms.
Spiral galaxies, like the Milky Way, display strikingly similar growth patterns in their spiral arms, where new stars are continuously formed and not in the center of the galaxy.
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Galaxy_of_Birth_and_Death.jpg
Returning to the observations and research conducted by Lior Shamir of Kansas State University using the JWST.
The most galaxies with clockwise rotation are the furthest away from us.
The GOODS-S field is at a part of the sky with a higher number of galaxies rotating clockwise
Image Source: Figure 10 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf292
“If that trend continues into the higher redshift ranges, it can also explain the higher asymmetry in the much higher redshift of the galaxies imaged by JWST. Previous observations using Earth-based telescopes e.g., Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Dark Energy Survey) and space-based telescopes (e.g., HST) also showed that the magnitude of the asymmetry increases as the redshift gets higher (Shamir 2020d).” Source: [1]“It becomes more significant at higher redshifts, suggesting a possible link to the structure of the early universe or the physics of galaxy rotation.” Source: [1]
Could the universe itself be following the same growth patterns we see in nature and spiral galaxies?
This new observation by Lior Shamir is particularly intriguing because, if we were to shift the perspective of our standard cosmological model—from one based on a singularity (the Big Bang ‘explosion’), which is currently facing a lot of challenges [2], to a growth (evolutionary) model—we would no longer be observing the early universe. Instead, we would be witnessing the formation of new galaxies in the far distance, presenting a perspective that is the complete opposite of our current worldview (paradigm).
NEW: Massive quiescent galaxy at zspec = 7.29 ± 0.01, just ∼700 Myr after the “big bang” found.
RUBIES-UDS-QG-z7 galaxy is near celestial equator.
It is considered to be a “massive quiescent galaxy’ (MQG).
These galaxies are typically characterized by the cessation of their star formation.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adab7a
The rotation, whether clockwise or counterclockwise, has not yet been observed.Reference
The distribution of galaxy rotation in JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey
Lior Shamir
[1 ] https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/538/1/76/8019798?login=false
The Hubble Tension in Our Own Backyard: DESI and the Nearness of the Coma Cluster
Daniel Scolnic, Adam G. Riess, Yukei S. Murakami, Erik R. Peterson, Dillon Brout, Maria Acevedo, Bastien Carreres, David O. Jones, Khaled Said, Cullan Howlett, and Gagandeep S. Anand
[2] https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ada0bd
Reading Recommendation:
The Golden Ratio, Mario Livio, 2002
Mario Livio was an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the Hubble Space Telescope.
RUBIES Reveals a Massive Quiescent Galaxy at z = 7.3
Andrea Weibel, Anna de Graaff, David J. Setton, Tim B. Miller, Pascal A. Oesch, Gabriel Brammer, Claudia D. P. Lagos, Katherine E. Whitaker, Christina C. Williams, Josephine F.W. Baggen, Rachel Bezanson, Leindert A. Boogaard, Nikko J. Cleri, Jenny E. Greene, Michaela Hirschmann, Raphael E. Hviding, Adarsh Kuruvanthodi, Ivo Labbé, Joel Leja, Michael V. Maseda, Jorryt Matthee, Ian McConachie, Rohan P. Naidu, Guido Roberts-Borsani, Daniel Schaerer, Katherine A. Suess, Francesco Valentino, Pieter van Dokkum, and Bingjie Wang (王冰洁)
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adab7a
Appendix Spiral Galaxies:
Spiral galaxies are known for their stunning and symmetrical spiral arms, and many of them exhibit patterns that approximate logarithmic spirals, which are mathematically related to the Golden Ratio. While not all spiral galaxies perfectly follow the Golden Ratio, some exhibit spiral arm structures that closely resemble this pattern. Here are some notable examples of spiral galaxies with logarithmic spiral patterns:
1. Milky Way Galaxy
- Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a barred spiral galaxy with arms that approximate logarithmic spirals. The four primary spiral arms (Perseus, Sagittarius, Scutum-Centaurus, and Norma) follow a logarithmic pattern, though not perfectly aligned with the Golden Ratio.
2. M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy)
- The Whirlpool Galaxy is one of the most famous examples of a spiral galaxy with well-defined logarithmic spiral arms. Its arms are nearly symmetrical and exhibit a pattern that closely resembles the Golden Ratio.
3. M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy)
- The Pinwheel Galaxy is a grand-design spiral galaxy with prominent and well-defined spiral arms. Its structure is often cited as an example of a logarithmic spiral in astronomy.
4. NGC 1300
- NGC 1300 is a barred spiral galaxy with a striking logarithmic spiral pattern in its arms. It is often studied for its near-perfect spiral structure.
5. M74 (Phantom Galaxy)
- The Phantom Galaxy is another grand-design spiral galaxy with arms that follow a logarithmic spiral pattern. Its symmetry and structure make it a textbook example of this phenomenon.
6. NGC 1365
- Known as the Great Barred Spiral Galaxy, NGC 1365 has a prominent bar structure and spiral arms that exhibit a logarithmic pattern.
7. M81 (Bode’s Galaxy)
- Bode’s Galaxy is a spiral galaxy with arms that follow a logarithmic spiral structure. It is one of the brightest galaxies visible from Earth and a popular target for astronomers.
8. NGC 2997
- This galaxy is a grand-design spiral galaxy with arms that closely resemble logarithmic spirals. It is located in the constellation Antlia.
9. NGC 4622
- Known as the “Backward Galaxy,” NGC 4622 has a unique spiral structure with arms that follow a logarithmic pattern, though its rotation direction is unusual.
10. M33 (Triangulum Galaxy)
- The Triangulum Galaxy is a smaller spiral galaxy with arms that exhibit a logarithmic spiral structure. It is part of the Local Group, along with the Milky Way and Andromeda.
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Accretion – Research Community
Who is who in the accretion model research, which scientific journals are publishing these scientific papers, what are the key conferences, what are the key arguments used, etc…..
Summary: Discussion dominated by the pebble accretion theory
Method of Research: Arxiv Papers by Google Rank United States (12.06.2023)
Search Term: arxiv.org planet accretion
List of papers as data source:
- Anatomy of rocky planets formed by rapid pebble accretion III. Partitioning of volatiles between planetary core, mantle, and atmosphere
- Efficient planet formation by pebble accretion in ALMA rings
- How planets grow by pebble accretion. III. Emergence of an interior composition gradient
- Anatomy of rocky planets formed by rapid pebble accretion II. Differentiation by accretion energy and thermal blanketing
- Planetary Accretion Shocks with a Realistic Equation of State
- Gas accretion onto Jupiter mass planets in discs with laminar accretion flows
- A pebble accretion model for the formation of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System
- ACCRETION PROCESSES
- Simultaneous gas accretion onto a pair of giant planets: Impact on their final mass and on the protoplanetary disk structure
- Giant planet formation via pebble accretion
- An Analytical Theory for the Growth from Planetesimals to Planets by Polydisperse Pebble Accretion
- Close-in giant-planet formation via in-situ gas accretion and their natal disk properties
- Making the Solar System
- RV-detected planets around M dwarfs: Challenges for core accretion models
- The effect of a strong pressure bump in the Sun’s natal disk: Terrestrial planet formation via planetesimal accretion rather than pebble accretion
- Work in Progress – more to follow
Pebble Accretion:
Challenges with pebble accretion:
Researcher and Institution
Name Institution Google Rank Anders Johansen Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 1 Thomas Ronnet Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 1 Martin Schiller Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 1 Zhengbin Deng Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 1 Martin Bizzarro Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 1 Haochang Jiang Department of Astronomy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 2 Chris W. Ormel European Southern Observatory, Garching 2 Chris W. Ormel Department of Astronomy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 3 Allona Vazan Department of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Astrophysics Research Center of the Open University (ARCO), The Open University of Israel 3 Marc Brouwers Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge 3 Anders Johansen Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 4 Thomas Ronnet Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 4 Martin Schiller Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 4 Zhengbin Deng Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 4 Martin Bizzarro Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 4 Zhuo Chen Department of Astronomy, Tsinghua University
Beijing5 Xue-Ning Bai Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University
Beijing5 Richard P. Nelson Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary University of London 6 Elena Lega Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS 6 Alessandro Morbidelli Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS 6 Anders Johansen Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 7 Thomas Ronnet Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 7 Martin Bizzarro Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 7 Martin Schiller Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen 7 Michiel Lambrechts Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 7 Åke Nordlund Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen 7 Helmut Lammer Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences 7 Alessandro Morbidelli Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS 8 Camille Bergez-Casalou Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg 9 Bertram Bitsch Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg 9 Sean N. Raymond Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, CNRS and Université de Bordeaux 9 Octavio Miguel Guilera Grupo de Ciencias Planetarias, Instituto de Astrof´ısica de La Plata, Grupo de Ciencias Planetarias, Facultad de Ciencias Astron´omicas y Geof´ısicas 10 Wladimir Lyra New Mexico State University, Department of Astronomy, Las Cruces 11 Anders Johansen Center for Star and Planet Formation, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University 11 MANUEL H. CAÑAS New Mexico State University, Department of Astronomy, Las Cruces 11 CHAO-CHIN YANG Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alabama 11 Yasuhiro Hasegawa Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 12 Tze Yeung Mathew Yu Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles 12 Bradley M. S. Hansen Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles 12 John Chambers Earth and Planets Laboratory
Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington13 Martin Schlecker Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg; Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona 14 Remo Burn Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern; Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg 14 Silvia Sabotta Landessternwarte, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg 14 Antonia Seifert 14 Thomas Henning Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg 14 Alexandre Emsenhuber Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München;Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern 14 Christoph Mordasini Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern 14 Sabine Reffert Landessternwarte, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg 14 Yutong Shan Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo; Institut für Astrophysik, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen 14 Hubert Klahr Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg 14 Andre Izidoro Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Houston 15 Bertram Bitsch Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg 15 Rajdeep Dasgupta Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Houston 15 Citations
Number of Citations Date Google Rank 0 07 / 2022 1 6 2 29 3 2 4 2 5 1 6 84 02 / 2021 7 3 8 0 9 6 10 2 11 7 12 1 13 14 14 19 05 / 2021 15 Scientific Journal or other Publications
Publication Google Rank Astronomy & Astrophysics 1 MNRAS 2 Astronomy & Astrophysics 3 Astronomy & Astrophysics 4 ApJL – The Astrophysical Journal Letters 5 Astronomy & Astrophysics 6 Science Advances 7 Astronomy & Astrophysics 9 Asociaci´on Argentina de Astronom´ıa, BAAA, Vol. 58, 2015 10 ApJ – The Astrophysical Journal 11 Astronomy & Astrophysics 12 ApJ – The Astrophysical Journal 13 Astronomy & Astrophysics 14 ApJ – The Astrophysical Journal 15 Latest Discussion
After analysing the community and understanding their channels is next to have a look at the latest discussion within the community and where the research is heading.
Research Method: Arxiv Papers Google Rank (14.06.2023)
Past Year
- Anatomy of rocky planets formed by rapid pebble accretion II. Differentiation by accretion energy and thermal blanketing
- On the evolution of pebble-accreting planets in evolving protoplanetary discs
- Efficient planet formation by pebble accretion in ALMA rings
- Global N-body simulations of circumbinary planet formation around Kepler-16 and -34 analogues I: Exploring the pebble accretion scenario
- An Analytical Theory for the Growth from Planetesimals to Planets by Polydisperse Pebble Accretion
Most popular disucssion:
Google Rank overall match with latest Discussion in the last year – papers in both list with Google Rank overall highest define the most popular discussion based on Google Rank.
Author Guidelines Scientific Journals
MNRAS – Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
ApJL – The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Further Databases:
astrophysics data system https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/
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Journal of Insights in Astronomy And References
Exoplanets: Multiplanet “Solar” System
“FRB is a blast of energy that can, for a few milliseconds, outshine an entire galaxy. Hundreds have been detected – but their sources remain uncertain.”
Log of Insights:
Date Insight / Source Used in / Will be used in 09.05.2025 Size of exoplanets correlates with the shape of their orbits. https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2405295122 https://circularastronomy.com/planet-and-comet-formation-process-in-convection-cell-rings/ 21.12.2024 This diversity suggests varied origins and evolutionary paths, indicating that Centaurs are a dynamic and transitional group rather than a homogeneous population. https://x.com/ExploreCosmos_/status/1869759481036308551 3.10.2024 “We found that J0524-0336 contains 100,000 times more lithium than the Sun does at its current age,” said Ezzeddine. “This amount challenges the prevailing models of how stars evolve and may suggest a previously unknown mechanism for lithium production or retention in stars.” https://news.clas.ufl.edu/newly-discovered-star-could-provide-new-insights-into-the-evolution-of-stars/ 3.10.2024 New link between water and planet formation: https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/press-releases/astronomers-reveal-a-new-link-between-water-and-planet-formation/ 2.10.2024 More Water in Planets Than Expected: The interior as the dominant water reservoir in super-Earths and sub-Neptunes https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02347-z 30.09.2024 Challenges for Giant Impact Moon Formation: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1809060115 Used in Post: Planet and Comet Formation Processes https://circularastronomy.com/planet-and-comet-formation-process-in-convection-cell-rings/ 22.04.2024 “solar system is “squashed” or “dented”– that the bubble carved into interstellar space by the solar wind is not perfectly round” Voyager Project Scientist Edward Stone of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. boundary layer interstellar space: “solar wind termination shock, where the solar wind is abruptly slowed by pressure from the gas and magnetic field in interstellar space.” “the shock “sloshes” back and forth like surf on a beach” “In a normal shock wave, fast-moving material slows down and forms a denser, hotter region as it encounters an obstacle. However, Voyager 2 found a much lower temperature beyond the shock than was predicted. This probably indicates that the energy is being transferred to cosmic ray particles that were accelerated to high speeds at the shock.” Eric Christian, Voyager Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington.https://science.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-program/voyager-2-proves-solar-system-is-squashed/ 19.04.2024 Brightest Gamma Ray Burst (GRB – BOAT – brightes of all times) – did not produce heaviest element
WST detection of a supernova associated with GRB 221009A without an r-process signature https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02237-412.04.2024 2nd Kuiper Belt – New Horizons spacecraft – Chief scientist Alan Stern – more dust at greater distances from the sun than expected https://earthsky.org/space/new-horizons-pluto-spacecraft-2nd-kuiper-belt/ Used in Post: Planet and Comet Formation Processes Convection vs. Accretion https://circularastronomy.com/planet-and-comet-formation-process-in-convection-cell-rings/ 19.02.2024 “Detailed modelling shows the stellar population formed around 1.5 billion years earlier in time (z ~ 11) at an epoch when dark matter halos of sufficient hosting mass have not yet assembled in the standard scenario[4, 5]”
Glazebrook, K., Nanayakkara, T., Schreiber, C. et al. A massive galaxy that formed its stars at z ~ 11. Nature (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07191-915.12.2023 Bennu Sample: Head-Scratcher: magnesium, sodium and phosphate — a combination rarely if ever seen in meteorites – Two out of three scientific explanations will point to fluid dynamic formation processes for Bennu https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03978-4 Used in Post: Planet and Comet Formation Processes Convection vs. Accretion /
Solar System Formation and https://circularastronomy.com/planet-and-comet-formation-process-in-convection-cell-rings/3.12.2023 “These disks pull together dust grains that grow into pebbles and eventually combine to form a solid planetary core. Once the core is formed, the planet can gravitationally pull in the solid dust, as well as surrounding gas such as hydrogen and helium. But it needs a lot of mass and materials to do this successfully. This way to form planets is called core accretion.” BUT:
“A star as low mass as LHS 3154, nine times less massive than the sun, should have a correspondingly low-mass planet forming disk.”
“A different planet formation theory, gravitational instability—where gas and dust in the disk undergo a direct collapse to form a planet—also struggles to explain the formation of such a planet without a very massive disk.”
Massive planet too big for its own sun pushes astronomers to rethink exoplanet formationConvection vs. Accretion /
Solar System Formation8.11.2023 Wind Tunnel Experiments Challenge Turbulence Theory – power law prediction not correct – “new data showed that in the inertial range ζ2 𝜁2 is not independent of r. Rather, it has a clear logarithmic dependence on r for separations spanning up to two orders of magnitude.” ….”logarithmic dependance is independent of the Reynolds number, except for the fact that it occurs over an increasing range of separations as the Reynolds number is increased”
https://physics.aps.org/articles/v16/123Using State
of the Art of
Problem Solving
for the Navier
Stokes Equation
https://circularastronomy.com/
2023/10/29/using-state-of-
the-art-problem-solving-for
-the-navier-stokes-equations/24.09.2023 OSIRIS-Rex: Asteroid Bennu sample landed – more on October 11 th https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/24/world/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-scn/index.html Solar System
Formation22.09.2023 Saturn and its Satellite Moons are same age – based on chronology of impacts
https://www.universetoday.com/
163104/whether-saturns-rings-are-young-or-old-its-moons-are-as-ancient-as-the-planet-itself/17.09.2023 HH 211 – bow shocks – supersonic outflow – 48-60 miles per second (80 to 100 kilometers per second)
https://webbtelescope.org/contents/
news-releases/2023/news-2023-14121.06.2023 Earth shaped by primordial H2 atmospheres https://www.nature.com/articles/
s41586-023-05823-004.06.2023 Gravitational Pair Production and Black Hole Evaporation https://journals.aps.org/prl/
abstract/10.1103/
PhysRevLett.130.221502 – (Event Horizon not a necessity) – Schwinger Effect- Real Particles (Positron,Electron) can form in a vacuum at an electric field strength of around 10(18) V/m –
explore boundary layers in vaccuum?, catalyst
effects to produce real particles below 10(18) V/m ?
– other pair productions …Accretion vs.
Convection
https://wordpress.com/page/circularastronomy.com/1717.5.2023 Black Hole Has Major Flare (of X-Ray outwards!)
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/black-hole-has-major-flare15.5.2023 Formalhaut: Three Dust rings, but no planets between the rings. ” Spatially resolved imaging of the inner Fomalhaut disk using JWST/MIRI” https://www.nature.com/articles/
s41550-023-01962-6 Used in Post: Planet and Comet Formation ProcessesPlanet and Comet Formation Processes in Convection Cell Rings 28.04.2023 Hubble 2 Values Discrepancy: A 0.9% calibration of the Galactic Cepheid luminosity scale based on Gaia DR3 data of open clusters and Cepheids⋆ https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/
full_html/2023/04/
aa44775-22/aa44775-22.html9.3.2023 Jupiter: plasma disc more variable and structured than previously thought https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
doi/10.1029/2022JE0076378.3.2023 Ryugu: Soluble organic molecules, https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/
science.abn9033 – (mild temperatures during formation)7.3.2023 Primarily due to the solar wind ions, generating intense electric fields inside the cavities on airless planetary bodies https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
doi/10.1029/2022JE0075895.3.2023 Dark Energy Survey – less clumpy than expected by standard cosmological model https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/
10.1103/PhysRevD.107.0235314.3.2023 Venus: Lithosphere more flexible than previously assumed, Coronae area of heat flow (cooling of Venus) https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/study-finds-venus-squishy-outer-shell-may-be-resurfacing-the-planet 3.3.2023 “The far- and nearsides of the Moon are geologically different.” More maria on the nearside (facing earth) than farside. Also maria on farside are smaller. “temperature of the nearside crust and upper mantle was hotter than that of the farside at the time of basin formation” https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/
science.12432242.3.2023 Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) – approximately 7 minutes was expected – 33.0 ± 1.0 (3𝜎) minutes was measured (4.71 to 1) https://www.nature.com/articles/
s41586-023-05805-21.3.2023 Cloud formation process on Mars similar to Earth. Cellular patterns and dry convection in textured dust storms. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/
article/pii/S001910352200284628.2.2023 anisotropically-distinctive innermost inner core (size 650 km) of earth discovered by stacking waveforms recorded by a growing number of global seismic stations. “As the IC (inner core) grows, the latent heat and light elements released by the solidification process drive the convection of the liquid outer core” and thus the geodynamo. Nature Communication: https://www.nature.com/articles/
s41467-023-36074-227.2.2023 Convection of high- and low-salinity water in Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California form polygon salt ridges – formation ist independent of local differences in geology, salt chemistry, and environmental conditions. Physics Journal: https://physics.aps.org/articles/v16/31 26.2.2023 TOI-5205b transiting Jovian planet orbiting a small solar metallicity M4V star. TOI-5205b has one of the highest mass ratios for M-dwarf planets. Challenge to conventional theories of gas planet formation. The Astronomical Journals: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/
10.3847/1538-3881/acabce…will be used in accretion vs. convectin cell formation… 24.2.2023 Giant baby (600 MYR after Big Bang) galaxies discovered by JWST- (still awaiting final confirmation) Published in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05786-2 22.2.2023 dwarf planet Quaoar has a ring outside of Roche limit https://earthsky.org/space/dwarf-planet-quaoar-has-a-ring/ The idea of the journal is similar to the idea of a bookkeeping journal. While in bookkeeping journal daily business transactions are recorded in one sentence in this journal new insights in Astronomy research are collected. Further similar to bookkeeping these entries will be entered in the corresponding categories / content yet to be established.
Forming Mercury by a grazing giant
collision involving similar mass bodies https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.02826Twitter Backlog:
https://twitter.com/ExploreCosmos_/status/1869759481036308551
The power of a air vortex cannon
https://x.com/nasauniverse/status/1823803400363946346?
Want to
@DoNASAScience and join the hunt for exoplanets? You can become a Disk Detective and search data from WISE and other surveys for dusty debris disks where planets are born: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/disk-detective/
https://twitter.com/astrolinguistic/status/1818455788169384012?s=43
Boomerang Nebula
Currently in draft post https://twitter.com/ExploreCosmos_/status/1501947685934276619
https://twitter.com/redditSpaceView/status/1146138528260284417
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Use of chatGPT (AI System) in Astronomy – an Example
Human: Could you analyze and structure the following text and create the content for a slide presentation out of it:
“Young exoplanets are attractive targets for atmospheric characterization to explore the early phase of planetary evolution and the surrounding environment. Recent observations of the 10 Myr young Neptune-sized exoplanet K2-33b revealed that the planet’s transit depth drastically decreases from the optical to near-infrared wavelengths. Thao et al. (2022) suggested that a thick planetary haze and/or stellar spots may be the cause; however, even the best-fit model only barely explains the data. Here, we propose that the peculiar transmission spectrum may indicate that K2-33b possess a circumplanetary dust ring, an analog of Jupiter’s dust ring. We demonstrate that the ring could produce a steep slope in the transmission spectrum even if its optical depth is as low as ∼10−2. We then apply a novel joint atmosphere-ring retrieval to K2-33b and find that the ring scenario could well explain the observed spectrum for various possible ring compositions. Importantly, the dust ring also exhibits prominent absorption features of ring particles around ∼10 μm, whose shape and strength depend on the composition of the ring. Thus, future observations by JWST-MIRI would be able to test not only the ring hypothesis but also, if it indeed exists, to constrain the composition of the ring — providing a unique opportunity to explore the origins of the dust ring around its parent planet, soon after the planetary system’s formation.”
AI:
Slide 1: Introduction
- Discuss the importance of studying young exoplanets, particularly for understanding the early phase of planetary evolution and the surrounding environment
- Mention the recent observations of K2-33b and its peculiar transmission spectrum
Slide 2: Thao et al.’s hypothesis
- Summarize Thao et al.’s suggestion that a thick planetary haze and/or stellar spots may be the cause of K2-33b’s transmission spectrum
- Note that even the best-fit model only barely explains the data
Slide 3: The circumplanetary dust ring hypothesis
- Introduce the idea that K2-33b may possess a circumplanetary dust ring, similar to Jupiter’s dust ring
- Explain how such a ring could produce a steep slope in the transmission spectrum, even if its optical depth is low
Slide 4: Joint atmosphere-ring retrieval
- Discuss the use of a novel joint atmosphere-ring retrieval method to analyze K2-33b’s spectrum
- Explain how this method could help to explain the observed spectrum and test the existence of a circumplanetary dust ring
Slide 5: Implications of the dust ring hypothesis
- If the dust ring hypothesis is confirmed, explain how it would provide unique insights into the origins of the dust ring around K2-33b, soon after the planetary system’s formation
- Mention the potential for future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to test the existence of the dust ring and constrain its composition.
Reference:
A Circumplanetary Dust Ring May Explain the Extreme Spectral Slope of the 10 Myr Young Exoplanet K2-33bKazumasa Ohno, Pa Chia Thao, Andrew W. Mann, Jonathan J. Fortney
Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJL. Please also see Thao et al. (2022) for the transmission spectrum of K2-33b Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) Cite as: arXiv:2211.07706 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2211.07706v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version) https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2211.07706Focus to learn more Related DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac9f3fFocus to learn more Reference Further Reading:
ACADEMIC WRITING WITH GPT-3.5: REFLECTIONS ON
PRACTICES, EFFICACY AND TRANSPARENCYOğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk
identified five ways of using GPT-3.5:
- Chunk Stylist
- Bulletto-Paragraph
- Talk Textualizer
- Research Buddy
- Polisher
Best Tools for Screening and Reading Research Papers
Update 12.08.2024:
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Class 0 protostar IRAS 15398−3359 with bipolar jet and H13CO+ depression in the inner regions
IRAS 15398-3359 is a young, small, relatively cool Class 0 protostar, which is an early stage of star formation. The star is located about 47 light years from Earth. It emits weak light, which struggles to penetrate the surrounding cloud of gas and dust.
Several studies have been conducted to understand the properties and environment of this protostar using various telescopes and instruments.
Observations with ALMA
Observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have revealed the presence of water around IRAS 15398-3359. The detection of H13CO+ showed a depression in its abundance, indicating the destruction of HCO+ by an enhanced water abundance, likely due to the sublimation of water ice in the inner regions of the protostellar envelope.
JWST/MIRI Observations
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has observed IRAS 15398-3359 using its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The MIRI Medium Resolution Spectroscopy (MRS) and imaging data have provided insights into the physical and chemical structure of the protostellar envelope and outflows.
More iron FE closer to the protostar ?
“The [Fe ii] and [Ne ii] emission show a collimated bipolar jet-like structure along the known outflow direction. The emission also highlights a bright
knot ∼2.500 away from the protostar toward southwest. The emission of H2 appears more extended, tracing a wide-angle outflow cavity.” (Page 13) https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.10673.pdfSOFIA Telescope
Multiple Outflows
Observations with the Atacama Compact Array (ACA) have revealed the presence of multiple outflows around IRAS 15398-3359.
Water Snow Line
The observations of IRAS 15398-3359 have helped confirm a hypothesis for determining the water snow line, which is the boundary where water transitions from a solid (ice) to a gas phase. This is an important feat as the water snow line plays a crucial role in the formation and evolution of protoplanetary disks and ultimately the formation of planets.
Summary
In summary, IRAS 15398-3359 is a well-studied Class 0 protostar, and observations with various telescopes and instruments have provided valuable insights into its physical and chemical properties, outflows, and the water snow line, contributing to our understanding of the early stages of star formation. IRAS 15398-3359 is currently only 0.7% of the mass of our Sun. Notably, this type of protoplanetary disk had never been observed around such a young star before.
References:
CORINOS. I. JWST/MIRI Spectroscopy and Imaging of a Class 0 Protostar IRAS 15398–3359
Yang, Yao-Lun & Green, Joel & Pontoppidan, Klaus & Bergner, Jennifer & Cleeves, L. & II, Neal & Garrod, Robin & Jin, Mihwa & Kim, Chul & Kim, Jaeyeong & Lee, Jeong-Eun & Sakai, Nami & Shingledecker, Christopher & Shope, Brielle & Tobin, John & Dishoeck, Ewine.
- December 2022
- The Astrophysical Journal Letters 941(1):L13
- December 2022
- 941(1):L13
- License
- CC BY 4.0
Water around IRAS15398-3359 observed with ALMA
Bjerkeli, P. & Jørgensen, J. & Bergin, Edwin & Frimann, Søren & Harsono, Daniel & Jacobsen, Steffen & Lindberg, Johan & Persson, M. & Sakai, Nami & Dishoeck, E. & Visser, Ramonda & Yamamoto, S..
- August 2016
- Astronomy and Astrophysics 595
- August 2016
- 595
DOI:10.1051/0004-6361/201628795
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306376908_Water_around_IRAS15398-3359_observed_with_ALMA
Multiple Outflows around a Single Protostar IRAS 15398−3359
Jinshi Sai, Hsi-Wei Yen, Masahiro N. Machida, Nagayoshi Ohashi, Yusuke Aso, Anaëlle J. Maury, Sébastien Maret
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.10857
Water in star-forming regions with Herschel (WISH)
J. C. Mottram, L. E. Kristensen, E. F. van Dishoeck, S. Bruderer, I. San José-García, A. Karska, R. Visser, G. Santangelo, A. O. Benz, E. A. Bergin, P. Caselli, F. Herpin, M. R. Hogerheijde, D. Johnstone, T. A. van Kempen, R. Liseau, B. Nisini, M. Tafalla, F. F. S. van der Tak and F. Wyrowski
Issue A&AVolume 572, December 2014 Article Number A21 Number of page(s) 49 Section Interstellar and circumstellar matter DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201424267 Published online 21 November 2014 https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2014/12/aa24267-14/aa24267-14.html
CORINOS I: JWST/MIRI Spectroscopy and Imaging of a Class 0 protostar IRAS 15398−3359
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.10673.pdf
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Infographic James Webb Space Telescope JWST Observation Time
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Convection Cells Scenarios – Planet Formation
Research to be reviewed related to the formation scenarios in these planet formation convections cells processes:
Rapid formation of exoplanetesimals revealed by white dwarfs
“By simulating planetesimal evolution and collisional evolution, we show that the most likely heat source is short-lived radioactive nuclides such as 26Al (which has a half-life of ~0.7 Myr). Core-rich materials in the atmospheres of white dwarfs, therefore, provide independent evidence for rapid planetesimal formation, concurrent with star formation.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01815-8
Amy Bonsor, Tim Lichtenberg, Joanna Dra̧żkowska & Andrew M. Buchan
Citation: Bonsor, A., Lichtenberg, T., Dra̧żkowska, J. et al. Rapid formation of exoplanetesimals revealed by white dwarfs. Nat Astron (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01815-8
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How Do You Rent Observation Time on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)?
Latest Update: 09.05.2025
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is operated by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), in Baltimore, Maryland, on the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University,
The Science and Operations Center (S&OC) for the James Webb Sapce Telescope (JWST) is located on the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in the Rotunda building (not in this image)
Image Url: https://www.flickr.com/photos/like_the_grand_canyon/11821895896Dr. Jennifer Lotz is the director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). The Space Telescope Science Institute serves as the multi-mission operations center for NASA’s flagship astronomical observatories. Around 700 people work at this world-class astronomical research center. In addition to operating the James Webb Space Telescope, the Space Telescope Science Institute provides various other services, such as operating the Hubble Space Telescope.
The leadership team consists of 25 people. While they do not decide on your observation time, it is worthwhile to know who they are. At least two members are key figures for the James Webb Space Telescope and are cited in various articles.
Dr. Tom Brown
Head, James Webb Space Telescope Mission OfficeDr. Iain Neill Reid
Head of the science mission office at STScIThe James Web Space Telescope Flight Control Room
James Webb Space Telescope Flight Control Room Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) The Scpace Telescope Science Institute has create a YouTube Channel:
JWST YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/jwstobserverIntroduction to the James Webb Space Telescope JWST Documentation
Allocation of Observation Time
“Roughly 10,000 hours of observing time (includes a buffer) is allotted to different groups for JWST’s first year of life. About 6,000 hours were given to the scientists who submitted proposals around the world, while nearly 4,000 hours were already set aside for scientists who helped design and build JWST and its instruments. The STScI also has about 460 hours of discretionary time which have been allotted for what is known as “Early Release Observations.” Data from these hours, scheduled to be done in the first five months of science, will become public immediately, so that anyone — even those who did not get time with the telescope — can analyze the observations and write their own studies.” Reference
Infographic James Webb Space Telescope Observation Time Why Is There a Buffer of Observation Time per Cycle?
The observatory will point at its target autonomously. If the execution of the commands fails, the next observation target will be selected. Therefore, as a fallback, more observation programs per cycle are selected than the actual total time available per cycle. The scheduling itself is done in two-week increments by the STScI. “We don’t want to get to the end of the year, and then run out of observations,” Pontoppidan says.” Reference
The James Webb Space Telescope obversation time is allocated through three disitinct type of programs.
- The Guaranteed Time Oberservation (GTO) program
- The General Observers (GO) program (66% of total)
- The Director Discretionary Early Release Science (DD-ERS) program
Guaranteed Time Observation Program – GTO
The GTO program provides guaranteed observing time. Scientists who developed hardware or software components, or who contributed technical and interdisciplinary expertise to the observatory, are rewarded through this program. For the next three cycles (years), 16% of the total observation time is reserved for this program. Reference.
List of Observations selected.
Even though astronomers cannot apply for this program, it is still a valuable source for seeing the outcomes of the observations. These scientists have developed the scientific instruments and are best positioned to demonstrate the quality and capabilities of these instruments.Members of the Science Mission Office at STScI are responsible for the oversight of the JWST science program selection process. The members involved include Neill Reid (Associate Director for Science), Alessandra Aloisi (Head, Science Mission Office), Louis-Gregory Strolger, Amaya Moro-Martin, and Technical Manager Brett Blacker.
General Observer Program – GO
The GO program provides observation time to all astronomers. JWST is an “open skies” telescope, “which means anyone can submit a proposal to use it, and the data collected will be shared with the world as soon as possible so that everyone can analyze and learn from it.” Reference “Participation in this program is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies.” It represents the bulk of the observing time on the James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists need to apply for observing time through a yearly peer review process conducted by a Time Allocation Committee (TAC), which consists of about 200 members. A similar process was used for the Hubble Space Telescope in the past. The review uses a dual-anonymous peer review (DAPR) system, which hides the names of team members from expert reviewers and vice versa. The process involves more than a dozen anonymous panels.
The Director Discretionary Early Release Science (DD-ERS) program
“Scientists were invited to participate in the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Director’s Discretionary Early Release Science (DD ERS) program. A total of ~450 hours has been allocated to support 13 teams who will provide the community with early access to substantive, representative datasets to enable full scientific exploitation of JWST in Cycle 2 and beyond.”
Archive Reserach (AR) Program
Additonally existing data can be analysed through the Archival Research (AR) Program. Approval is part of the GO Program submission process.
How much data is collected?
5.42 Mbps (Megabits per second) or
458 gigabits per day.
ReferenceProposal submission process:
Documentation: https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/
The total cost for one hour of observation time—already paid by NASA (90%), ESA, and CSA—is roughly $170,000 per hour. This figure does not include the effort of the scientists who requested the observation, nor the effort of the Time Allocation Committee in selecting proposals. These hourly costs are calculated based on 6,000 hours of yearly observation time allocated to the GO Program over a period of 10 years. The cost per hour will decrease if the observation time for the GO Program is increased each year, or if the James Webb Space Telescope is used for more than 10 years. For example, the Hubble Space Telescope is still operating after 32 years. Reference.
To make the most of this precious observation time, a stringent selection process was established, similar to that used for the Hubble Space Telescope.The Time Allocation Committee has 200 members, including 52 from ESA member states. There are 18 panels, each consisting of about 10 people who review the proposals. The panels meet over a period of three weeks.
Yearly Cycle for Submission
Cycle 4: Submission October 16, 2024, by 8:00 pm US Eastern Daylight Time: 2,377 proposal with demand for observing time: 78,000 hours (~9:1 oversubscription rate) See.
Selected: 274
Success Ratio: 1 to 8.7
The Cycle 4 GO prime time is distributed as follows:
Number Program Type Observation Time Total Hours Anticipated 112 Very Small ≤ 20 hours 1338 1950 86 Small > 20 and ≤ 50 hours 3014 2900 35 Medium > 50 and ≤ 130 hours 2654 2250 8 Large >130 hours 1524 1400 Cycle 1: Submission 24th November 2020: 1173 proposals – 2,200 unique investigators from 41 countries, including 43 US states and territories, 19 ESA member states, and 4 Canadian provinces.
Selected: 266
Success Ratio: 1 to 4.4
112 Very Small programs (≤ 20 hours) for 1,338 hours
86 Small (> 20 and ≤ 50 hours) for 3,014 hours
35 Medium (> 50 and ≤ 130 hours) for 2,654 hours
Available time: 6000 hrs (250 days) versus 24 500 hrs of all proposals submitted.
The Cycle 1 GO prime time is distributed as follows:- 52% to small programs (less than 25 hours)
- 32% to medium programs (25 to 75 hours)
- 16% to large programs (more than 75 hours)
ESA 33% proposals accepted, 30% of observation time
Blacker Friday (Name by Astronomer’s who applied for observation time): Brett Blacker from Space Telescope Science Institute will inform Astronomer’s if their proposal was accepted or rejected. Reference
Cycle 5:
Proposal Submission Start – August 1, 2025
Proposal Deadline – October 15, 2025
Blacker Friday – Mid March 2026
ReferenceProposal
Why is it so important for Astronomer’s to succeed with their proposals?
“As an observational astronomer, I kind of live or die by what telescope time I get,” Larissa Markwardt, a Ph.D. student in astronomy at the University of Michigan, (space.com)
The authors of the selected proposals will typically have one year of exclusive access to the new observations, after which the data will become publicly available for download by anyone from the online archive at STScI. However, not all scheduled observations use this exclusive access period. For example, around eight programs in the exoplanets and disks observation category will allow immediate public access. The archive is located here.
Science Instruments for Observation
4 Science instruments: MIRI, NIRCam, NIRSpec, and NIRISS are available.
MIRI – Mid-Infrared Instrument
NIRCam – first mirror alignment image
NIRSpec – Near Infrared Spectrograph
Astrium GmbH, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons NIRISS
By NASA – https://jwst.stsci.edu/files/live/sites/jwst/files/home/science%20planning/science%20corner/flyer/_documents/NIRISS-pocket-guide.pdf, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53870441 Comparision between the 4 observation instruments
Parallel observing refers to the simultaneous operation of more than one science instrument, with each viewing a different area of the JWST focal plane.
Astronomer’s Proposal Tool – APT
Astronomer’s Proposal Tool (APT): https://www.stsci.edu/scientific-community/software/astronomers-proposal-tool-apt
Introduction to the Astronomer’s Proposal Toll (APT) No limit on the number of proposals per PI (principal investigator).
Selection Criteria
As it is a dual-anonymous peer review, the content of the proposal matters more than the identity of the applicants. This process has been in place since 2018. “We use a double-blind peer-review process to remove bias from our proposal selection. This means we don’t know the scientist or institution submitting the proposal—a process that, we hope, will enable younger researchers and smaller institutions, not just the large R1 research universities, to be more successful proposers. Another goal is to reduce the disparity in success rates between men and women.” Reference Now, even scientists with less traction in the community have a good chance to succeed with their proposals. Potentially, even citizen scientists could submit a proposal. However, before submitting a proposal, certain checks should be done:
“Ranking them based on three important criteria: how much the proposal will impact knowledge within a subfield, how much it will advance astronomy in general, and whether the proposed idea requires the unique capabilities of JWST to be successful. ” Reference
- Is there already enough and sufficient observation data available for the topic of research?
- Are there other observation instruments (List of telescopes) availble that will fullfill the objective of the planned observation?
- If it is related the solar system, is there a mission (satellite) or planned mission that will deliver the objective of the planned observation?
- Depending on the instrument of observation available on the James Webb Telescope – does this instrument align to the planned observation?
- Amount of time – the less the better
- Categories:
https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/approved-programs/cycle-1-go Minimum Requirement: Observation goal cannot be achieved with other telescopes available
While the committee will not check if data is already available, it will first review whether the planned observation can only be conducted with one of the scientific instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope, or if there are better-suited alternatives. This is a key minimum requirement that must be met in order to remain in the selection process. See List of Space Telescopes.Minimum required qualifications: scientists studying for their PhDs – “students can be just as successful as their mentors” – Christine Chen
Cycle 4 expected observation start: July 2025
Current status James Webb: https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html
Orbit of James Webb Space Telescope:
Each target in the sky is in JWST’s view twice a year.
Data processing on the James Web Space Telescope
Most of the data processing on the telescope is done by conventional single-board computers.[206] The conversion of the analog science data to digital form is performed by the custom-built SIDECAR ASIC (System for Image Digitization, Enhancement, Control And Retrieval Application Specific Integrated Circuit)
Twitter List James Webb Sapce Telescope JWST
Twitter List James Webb Space Telescope
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope
https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-observing-time-anonymous
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Star HD 163296 Citations
Cometary Dust in the Debris Disks of HD 31648 and HD 163296: Two “Baby” beta Pics
1998 Authors: Michael L. Sitko, Carol A. Grady, David K. Lynch, Ray W. Russell, Martha S. Hannerhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9807229
Page 4: “crystalline olivine condenses at the high temperatures (>1200 K) that might have been typical of the inner solar nebula,”
“This scenario requires that these grains then be transported to the
region of comet formation and be mixed with ice grains that probably condensed at temperatures below 30 K (Crovisier et al. 1997).”Explanation: Olivine Crystaline form in the planet forming convection cells in the inner solar nebula at high temperature (>1200 K) while ice (grains) will condense in the outer region of the gas/dust disk of the star. Through jets of the star pieces of crystalline olivine are transported to the outer region. The jets will melt the ice. When jets retreats and the region starts to cool below 30 K the ice grains and the crystalline olivine will condense and form the comets.
Meridional flows in the disk around a young star
2019 Authors: Richard Teague, Jaehan Bae, Edwin Berginhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1642-0
Page 1: “Protoplanetary disks are known to posses a stunning variety of
substructure in the distribution of their mm sized grains, predominantly seen as rings and gaps1, which are frequently interpreted as due to the shepherding of large grains by either hidden, still-forming planets within the disk2 or (magneto-)hydrodynamic instabilities 3.”
“To relate the gas velocities to the local sound speed, we use the
brightness temperature of the optically thick line emission as a measure
the local gas temperature5, finding values spanning between ≈ 90 K
in the inner 30 au and dropping to 30 K at 400 au. ”The Herbig Ae star HD 163296 in X-rays
2005 Authors: Douglas A. Swartz, Jeremy J. Drake, Ronald F. Elsner, Kajal K. Ghosh, Carol A. Grady, Edward Wassell, Bruce E. Woodgate, Randy A. Kimble
Page 1: “HD 163296 is a nearby (122 pc) Herbig Ae star (A1Ve,AV =0.m25) with an effective temperatureTef f=9300 K,luminosity log(L⋆/L⊙)=1.48+0.12−0.10, massM⋆ = 2.3M⊙,and radiusR⋆ = 2.1R⊙ (van den Ancker, de Winter, &Tijn A Djie 1998).
“HD 163296 has a strong infrared excess (Hillenbrand et al. 1992; Meeus et al. 2001) and variable Balmer series emission lines (Baade & Stahl 1989; Pogodin 1994; Beskrovnaya et al. 1998)”
Page 2: “The large infrared excess arises fromheated, optically thick dust within a circumstellar disk(Hillenbrand et al. 1992; Meeus et al. 2001). The disk has a radius of ∼450 AU (3.′′7) viewed at ∼60◦inclination (Mannings & Sargent 1997; Grady et al. 2000). The time-variable double-peaked and P Cygni Balmer and UVemission line profiles arise from a stellar wind, an extended chromosphere, and/or rotation (e.g., Catala et al. 1989).
Radio continuum observations (Brown, Perez, & YusefZadeh 1993) of HD 163296 also suggest wind-driven mass loss. Orthogonal to the disk is an axially-aligned chain
of Herbig-Haro nebulae extending several seconds of arc above and below the disk (Grady et al. 2000). A Lyαbright jet extending 6′′ along the SW arm of the HerbigHaro flow has also been discovered (Devine et al. 2000).”
Circular Astronomy 
