Astronomical Prospects

1
Astronomical Prospects

• Michael McElwain
• Ge70 Final Lecture
• March 16, 2004

2
Overview

• UCs stake in astronomy
• Our black hole
• Finding other planets
• NASAs Schedule
• Living in Space
• Solar system exploration

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Astronomy in the UC

• Solar Observatory on Mt. Wilson
• Lick Observatory
• W.M. Keck Observatory
• Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO)
• Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT)

Keck Laser Guide Star
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Our black hole
The Galactic Plane
Galactic center radio emission
Galactic center infrared emission
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2.2 µm animation of the orbits in the central
parsec
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110 Known Exoplanets!

• Radial Velocity Measurements
• Most successful group led from UC Berkeley
• Astrometry
• Photometry
• Interferometry
• Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF)

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Back to the Moon, then Mars

• NASAs agenda (Ws vision)
• Implement Vision Reorganize NASA 2004
• Crew Exploration Vehicle First Test Flight
  2007
• Start Annual Lunar Robotic Missions
  2008
• Retire Shuttle and Complete Station Assembly
  2010
• Moon Human Landing/Exploration Testbed
  2015
• Terrestrial Planet Finder 2015
• Mars Human Landing 2020

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NASAs budget
U.S. Constrained Buget 2004
NASAs Cut
Defense spending 388 billion dollars/year NASA
spending 16 billion dollars/year (lt1 of
Total Spending, 4 of Defense Spending)
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Bad News - HST Decommissioning

• Reasons
• Space Shuttle Servicing
• Optical astronomers have alternatives
• JWST initiative
• Only additional 3 yrs if serviced?

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Learning about Life in Space

• The International Space Station
• US lead, but help from Russia, Canada, Japan,
  ESA, and Brazil
• Many experiments onboard
• Microgravity

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Roving on Mars

• Spirit and Opportunity on Mars right now
• Mission sites
• Gusev crater
• Meridiani Planum

• Instruments onboard to determine the history of
  climate and water on Mars.
• 2 Imagers
• 3 Spectrometers

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Cassini-Huygens Mission

• Launched in 1997, and will arrive at Saturn this
  summer.
• Cassini Orbiter (JPL)
• 4 yrs in orbit
• Huygens probe (ESA)
• Descend through Titans atmosphere