Astrophysical X-Ray Spectroscopy: Then, Then Again, and Now

For the last three years, the grating experiments on Chandra and XMM-Newton have been providing magnificent spectra of nearly all classes of cosmic X-ray sources. In most cases, these are the very first high resolution X-ray spectra we have had available. As an introduction to this meeting on High Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy with XMM-Newton and Chandra, I thought it might be fun to look back to where we came from, to get to where we are today in this field. I have chosen three snapshots in time: Then: Summer 1980 - I was driving across the U.S. (Berkeley to Boston). We had results from Uhuru, Ariel V, OSO 8, HEAO 1, and were just starting to get results from Einstein. Then Again: Summer 1995 - I was driving across the U.S. (Berkeley to NY). EXOSAT, BBXRT and ROSAT had flown in the interim. We were starting to get results from ASCA. Now: Summer 2002 - Chandra has been up for three years, XMM-Newton for 2 1/2. Astro-E tragically lost, but Astro-E2 in development.