Astronomy at Texas A

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Astronomy at Texas A M

• Nicholas B. Suntzeff, Ph. D.
• Mitchell/Munnerlyn/Heep Professor of
  Observational Astronomy
• 29 September 2006

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Europa Saturn
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Distant Galaxy and Exploding Star
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The Universe
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The New Universe
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Astronomy Faculty

• Reinvestment program (4)
• Future hires (4)
• Present faculty in physics, atm. Sciences,
  aerospace engineering 4
• Most viable astronomy programs have 12 or more
  faculty in astronomy astrophysics

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My astronomy vision

• The Big Goal major participation in Giant
  Magellan Telescope
• An intermediate goal All sky searches,
  satellites
• Active participation in McDonald Obs and joining
  Hobby-Ebberly Telescope
• Teach 2,000 undergraduates a year
• Strong graduate program

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A Unifying science theme

• Three major areas in astronomy in the next 10
  years
• Search for planets
• The first stars and galaxies
• All sky searching

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Giant Magellan Telescope
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GMT Institutions
Carnegie Observatories University of Arizona
Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of
Technology University of Michigan Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory Texas AM University
University of Texas, Austin
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Telescope
21.5m equivalent aperture
Cost 500M
Seven 8.4m primary mirrors
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GMT mirror 18.4-m mirror (27 feet
across)Mitchell donanations
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Giant Magellan Telescope Cerro Las Campanas,
Chile
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Planet Imaging
Solar System twin _at_10pc Jupiter 10-9 0.5
arcsecond Earth 10-10 0.1 arcsecond
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The First Stars

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The First Galaxies

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Our Only Universe