A Strategy for Ground-Based Optical and Infrared Astronomy

In November 1993, Hugh Van Horn, director of the Division of Astronomical Sciences of the National Science Foundation (NSF), met with the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) of the National Research Council (NRC) to seek advice regarding NSF's strategy for supporting ground-based optical and infrared astronomy (hereafter, OIR astronomy). In response, the CAA recommended to the NRC Board on Physics and Astronomy (BPA) that the NRC establish a panel of the CAA, the Panel on Ground-Based Optical and Infrared Astronomy (OIR Panel), to prepare this report.

After consultation with the CAA and other members of the astronomical community, the CAA nominated a list of members for the OIR Panel. The proposed panel was approved by the Board on Physics and Astronomy and appointed by the NRC chair. In addition to the regular members, the OIR Panel enjoyed the active participation of liaison members from the CAA, the BPA, the NSF Physics and Astronomy Advisory Committee, and a consultant from the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO).

In preparing this report, the OIR Panel met three times. At the first meeting, which took place in Tucson, Arizona, on February 24-26, 1994, the panel heard detailed presentations regarding the budget, staffing, and operations of the NOAO, and it also heard presentations regarding the operations of the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona. An open forum was held to listen to opinions and advice from Tucson astronomers. At the second meeting, which took place in Washington, D.C., on April 21-22, 1994, the panel held discussions with NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration program managers and representatives of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA, the management contractor for the NOAO). At the final meeting, which took place in Minneapolis from May 30 to June 2, 1994 (held concurrently with the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS)), the panel held an open forum to discuss the issues with interested AAS members. The panel also met with members of the Optical, Infrared, and Submillimeter/Meter Strategic Review Panel (the OIM panel) from the United Kingdom (which had a similar charge from the U.K. Science and Engineering Research Council) and representatives of the National Research Council of Canada.

In addition to attending these meetings, members of the OIR Panel visited the Canada-France-Hawaii Observatory, the Sacramento Peak Observatory, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, and several independent observatories and made a return trip to NOAO to examine its budget and staffing in detail. The panel maintained an open forum on an electronic bulletin board, which elicited a lively debate and many thoughtful and provocative comments. The panel sent a questionnaire to directors of independent observatories requesting detailed information about facilities and operating costs. On July 11, 1994, the chair of the OIR Panel attended a meeting of directors of independent observatories to discuss possible recommendations and the most effective ways to implement them.

With the benefit of these extensive interactions with the astronomy community, the NOAO, the NSF, and other concerned parties, the OIR Panel was able to reach a consensus on a strategy for ground-based optical and infrared astronomy that yields the best scientific return for the NSF investment in the field. This report describes the panel's recommended strategy and the information that the panel used in formulating it.

The National Academies Home Page | NAP Home Page | Report Home Page