Re: Amateur astronomers prove their mettle

In article <cbob72pqlkcifhjgd1s0tomcuid0vee67p@xxxxxxx>,
Chris L Peterson <clp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Thu, 25 May 2006 07:47:00 -0400, John Kulczycki
<john.kulczycki@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

You know, if the powers that be would stop looking to build telescope
monuments and just fund say 1000 or so 1.5 to 2 meter telescopes that a
lot of astronomers could use I think we'd get a lot more astronomy done.
The way it is now, you have to be a high priest of astronomy to get any
scope time at the astronomy temples. I think the faithful need access to
their own shrines where they can interpret the heavens for themselves.

You have to be a graduate student, which I have difficulty thinking of
as a high priesthood.

I guess that depends on how you define "more astronomy". Certainly,
meter class scopes have many uses.

Most of the ones I can think of are survey work, and that becomes a
very different field once LSST and PanSTARRS are working -- more a
matter of writing the right sort of database queries than conventional
observational astronomy.

I suppose Jodrell Bank have devoted a 13-metre dish to the Crab Pulsar
since shortly after its discovery; I don't know many other objects
which would benefit from that sort of concentrated observation.

Tom
.

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