Frontier science enabled by a giant segmented mirror telescope
- Author:
-
GSMT Science Working Group,
- Title:
- Frontier science enabled by a giant segmented mirror telescope
- Year:
- 2003
- Subject:
-
Astronomy
Telescopes
- Summary:
- The unique challenge of astronomy in the 21st century is to study "the evolution of the universe in order to relate causally the physical conditions during the Big Bang to the development of RNA and DNA". A 20 to 30 meter telescope would provide the capability to meet this challenge. As a result, the National Science Foundation (NSF) asked the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) to organize a Science Working Group (SWG) and to "advise the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences on a strategy for guiding federal investment in a Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT)." The GSMT SWG was made up of sixteen scientists who were active in ground-based astronomy research and/or represented national and international groups who expected to play a role in developing next-generation telescopes. A summary and supporting material of the SWG's conclusions and recommendations is included in this first report.
- Date:
- June 2003
- Collection:
- Monographs