A National Observatory's Responsibilities Extend Beyond Telescopes
Abstract
Answering the pressing astronomical and human questions of our time—what are the origins of the Universe? how did galaxies, stars, and planets form? is there life elsewhere?—requires telescope resources beyond what individual universities or private observatories can muster, and they also require much more than the hardware. The most successful modern ground-based astronomical experiments have therefore been those that not only harnessed the resources of large consortia but also maximized their science productivity through early career training, innovative software development, and powerful and user-friendly public data-distribution tools.
- Publication:
-
The NOIRLab Mirror
- Pub Date:
- June 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020Mirro...1...17B