Looking into the future of European astronomy
Work has started on a roadmap to identify the infrastructures which will be needed to support European astronomy over the next 10 to 20 years. The roadmap will be drafted by Michael Bode, Professor of Astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University on behalf of ASTRONET, an ERA-Net, comprising nine participating national scientific organisations and laboratories from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, UK and Norway. The consortium also includes the European Southern Observatory (ESO) as a member and the European Space Agency (ESA) as an associate member. ERA (European Research Area) -Net schemes are designed to support the coordination and mutual opening up of national and regional research programmes. Astronomy is one of the world's oldest sciences. Since the dawn of early civilizations, astronomers have been performing methodical observations of the night sky. But it was not until the telescope that astronomy really took off. Thanks to intrepid scientists and increasingly advanced technology, we are beginning to understand how the processes work that gave birth to our Universe and continue to shape it. Many big questions still remain, on phenomena such as the evolution and formation of galaxies and stars, our understanding of the extremes of the Universe and how we fit into it. Finding answers to these questions will require development of existing infrastructure as well as Europe-wide investment in new facilities. The roadmap aims to explore the various possibilities and come up with a priority list of space missions, ground-based facilities, 'virtual observatories', and large-scale computing facilities to be developed over the next two decades. Future infrastructures could include the largest radio and optical telescopes ever, as well as facilities for detecting exotic sub-atomic particles. In space, sophisticated space observatories, capable of not only observing across the electromagnetic spectrum but also gravitational waves, are very likely candidates. Facilities may also be considered that make astronomy more attractive for young people to study. 'Given the scale and cost of these facilities, it is vital that scientists and key funding bodies across Europe reach a consensus, based on a defined scientific imperative, about which developments to invest in over the next 20 years,' said Professor Bode. 'Getting such a consensus will be hard work but it will be highly beneficial for the long-term health and competitiveness of European astronomy and space research. European astronomers have the opportunity to lead the way in mankind's exploration of the Universe over the coming decades,' said Keith Mason, Chief Executive of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), an ASTRONET member. By gathering together the main national research organisations in Europe, as well as the ESO and ESA, ASTRONET is seen as the best medium through which to produce such a long-term strategic plan for European astronomy. The roadmap is expected to be ready by mid-2008
Countries
Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom