Every year, scientists around the world apply for observing time on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. When proposals are selected after a vigorous vetting, the programs go into Webb’s observation queue for the future, ready to be scheduled based on various factors, including windows of visibility.

However, what if an astronomer wants to study something, but they don’t know ahead of time exactly when that event will take place? Or where? Think supernova explosions or a gamma ray burst. This is called a Target of Opportunity (ToO) observation, which astronomers can define in the proposal planning phase, ready to have them ‘enacted’ when the time comes.

One of the first ToO programs performed by Webb has now proven fruitful, providing insights into the immediate aftermath of when a star swallowed its own planet.

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