Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This recording is presented by Princeton Public Library. Photographer Chris Gunn and writer Christopher Wanjek discuss their book "Inside the Star Factory: The Creation of the James Webb Space Telescope NASA's Largest and Most Powerful Space Observatory."
From the Publisher:
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the world's largest orbiting astronomy observatory, is now nearly a million miles from Earth, probing the first stars and galaxies, documenting the structure and evolution of the universe, and searching for signs of life in other solar systems. In a series of extraordinary photographs, "Inside the Star Factory" tells the story of the Webb Telescope from conception to launch—a marvel of ingenuity and engineering that entailed more than 100 million people hours over a span of thirty years.
The project's lead photographer Chris Gunn was there from the start, documenting the Webb's tumultuous history—the behind-the-scenes details of its construction, from the cutting-edge technology required for an observatory operating at temperatures as low as –370°F, beyond reach for repair, to the human story of an engineering team pursuing an unprecedented goal under incomparable pressure. The photographs are accompanied by science writer Christopher Wanjek's overview of the Webb's history and profiles of the scientists and engineers who built it.
About the Speakers:
Chris Gunn is a photographer based in Washington, DC, who specializes in creating images of science and technology. His photographs have been featured in Scientific American, Wired, National Geographic, and The New York Times.
Christopher Wanjek is the author of “Bad Medicine,” “Food at Work,” and the acclaimed “Spacefarers: How Humans Will Settle the Moon, Mars, and Beyond.” His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Smithsonian, and Live Science.
This event was recorded on December 12, 2023.
This recording is presented by Princeton Public Library. Photographer Chris Gunn and writer Christopher Wanjek discuss their book "Inside the Star Factory: The Creation of the James Webb Space Telescope NASA's Largest and Most Powerful Space Observatory."
From the Publisher:
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the world's largest orbiting astronomy observatory, is now nearly a million miles from Earth, probing the first stars and galaxies, documenting the structure and evolution of the universe, and searching for signs of life in other solar systems. In a series of extraordinary photographs, "Inside the Star Factory" tells the story of the Webb Telescope from conception to launch—a marvel of ingenuity and engineering that entailed more than 100 million people hours over a span of thirty years.
The project's lead photographer Chris Gunn was there from the start, documenting the Webb's tumultuous history—the behind-the-scenes details of its construction, from the cutting-edge technology required for an observatory operating at temperatures as low as –370°F, beyond reach for repair, to the human story of an engineering team pursuing an unprecedented goal under incomparable pressure. The photographs are accompanied by science writer Christopher Wanjek's overview of the Webb's history and profiles of the scientists and engineers who built it.
About the Speakers:
Chris Gunn is a photographer based in Washington, DC, who specializes in creating images of science and technology. His photographs have been featured in Scientific American, Wired, National Geographic, and The New York Times.
Christopher Wanjek is the author of “Bad Medicine,” “Food at Work,” and the acclaimed “Spacefarers: How Humans Will Settle the Moon, Mars, and Beyond.” His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Smithsonian, and Live Science.
This event was recorded on December 12, 2023.
