%0 Book %A National Academy of Sciences %T Ground-Based Astronomy: A Ten-Year Program %D 1964 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13212/ground-based-astronomy-a-ten-year-program %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13212/ground-based-astronomy-a-ten-year-program %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %P 125 %R doi:10.17226/13212 %X Astronomy has as its domain the study of the celestial bodies—the sun, planets, stars, clouds of gas between the stars, galaxies—and undeniably the entire universe considered as a single system. Astronomy's goal is to learn the nature of these diverse objects and to relate their properties, their motions, and their distribution in space in a unified world picture; to understand the evolutionary development of the universe from the time of its formation to the present epoch of observation and beyond; and indeed to discover, if possible, its original state and its final destiny. Emphasizing astronomy as a pure science, this report presents the challenges scientists and the government face in regards to radio and optical astronomical programs. Ground-based Astronomy: A Ten-Year Program explores a balanced course for new facilities of ground-based astronomy in the next decade, and provides recommendations to create a progressive program that considers a wide spectrum of past inadequacies and future growth components. Outlining guiding principles and estimates of facility costs, Ground-based Astronomy examines present positions in research and development to further advancement of astronomy in various sectors.