[meteorite-list] Astronomers Optimistic Despite Recommended Cuts for Arecibo

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Nov 6 18:19:49 2006
Message-ID: <200611062319.PAA04586_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov06/arecibo.funding.html

Despite significant recommended cuts from NSF for
Arecibo, Cornell astronomers are optimistic about
observatory's future

Nov. 6, 2006

By Lauren Gold (LG34_at_cornell.edu)
Chronicle Online

On Nov. 3, the Senior Review, an advisory panel
to the National Science Foundation's (NSF)
Division of Astronomical Sciences, recommended a
24 percent cut in funding over the next three
years for Arecibo Observatory, which Cornell
manages as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere
Center (NAIC). The panel also advised NAIC to
find outside partners to cover another
recommended 40 percent funding cut by 2011 or
risk closure.

Despite this news, Cornell astronomers remained
upbeat about the long-term future of the
telescope.

Joseph Burns, Cornell vice provost for physical
sciences and engineering, issued a statement in
response to the report:

"...Cornell supports the NSF's overall plan to
find funds to carry out new initiatives, but we
are disappointed with some of the Senior Review's
specific recommendations into the next decade. We
remain dedicated to the core scientific programs
of the Arecibo Observatory and, accordingly, we
are pleased that the review recognizes the
facility's significant contributions today and
its potential for important discoveries well into
the next decade. Our staff will be working with
our astronomy community to identify cost savings
... (and) we are confident that Arecibo's
remarkable research and educational programs will
be kept strong into 2011 and beyond."

The Arecibo Observatory's 305-meter diameter
antenna, the world's largest and most sensitive
radio-radar telescope, attracts more than 250
scientists to northwestern Puerto Rico from
around the world every year and has been the
source of pivotal discoveries about pulsars,
planets, distant galaxies, near earth objects and
the interstellar medium, as well as key findings
about gravitational physics, atmospheric sciences
and more.

Arecibo has received several major upgrades in
recent years. The Arecibo L-Band Feed Array
(ALFA), which began operation in spring 2005, for
example, allows researchers to survey large
swaths of sky and search for such time-variable
phenomena as pulsars seven times more efficiently
than in the past.

"You could very well say it's a new phase for
Arecibo," said Cornell professor of astronomy Jim
Cordes. "We're doing things that are pretty
unique to what Arecibo can do -- playing on its
strengths."

Arecibo is also one of only two telescopes in the
world with radar capability (the other is the
Goldstone NASA tracking telescope in California).
Radar research has yielded some of the most
detailed imaging of the surface of the Moon, as
well as a much more accurate characterization of
the surfaces of other planets and near earth
objects. It remains a vital tool for a wide range
of studies in planetary science.

In addition, the observatory hosts Angel Ramos
Foundation Visitor and Educational Facility, a
self-supporting educational center, which
receives over 100,000 visitors annually and is
the major outreach facility for Hispanic
Americans.

Cornell has operated Arecibo as a national
facility since 1971, and in 2005 was awarded a
cooperative agreement to continue operations
until 2010.

The Senior Review's report was based on an
assumption that the NSF's overall budget would
not increase in the next five years. It
considered ongoing and future projects within
three major branches of astronomy: optical and
infrared astronomy; radio, millimeter and
submillimeter astronomy; and solar astronomy.

"The idea of this exercise was to put us in a
good position to move forward with a very
exciting scientific program," said Wayne van
Citters, director of the Division of Astronomical
Sciences. "We have to look at it as a very
positive step toward a bright future for
astronomical sciences."

Citing Arecibo's unique strengths, Burns said he
is confident that Arecibo will continue to prove
its usefulness. "The refocusing of scientific
programs is something we can handle very
adequately," he said. "We're very optimistic for
a scientifically exciting future."

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Received on Mon 06 Nov 2006 06:19:42 PM PST