Start date: 25/07/2009

 End date: 26/07/2009

  • Place: La Palma
  • Organizer: Francisco Sánchez Martínez; Rafael Rebolo López; José Miguel Rodríguez Espinosa
  • Description:A number of 8-10m class telescopes are now in operation, the last of which, the GTC, is starting to produce scientific data on a routine basis. Meanwhile, the next generation of large telescopes is now on the drawing boards both in Europe and the USA. Also the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the successor to the Hubble Space telescope, is on its fast track to launch in 2014. With this panorama in mind, the GTC inauguration offers an ideal occasion for exchanging ideas on the role of the 8-10 m telescopes when the new generation of giant telescopes and space observatories becomes on line, or debating the professional future of young astronomers confronted with the extremely competitive access to these giant telescopes, and assessing the implications of the scarcity of observing time available to the astronomical community at large.We have gathered together an elite of influential astronomers to discuss the above points as well as present their views on the future trends of astronomy that will be allowed by the current and the extremely large future facilities.The talks and conclusions will be collected in a white book which will be published shortly after the meeting.Invited speakers:
    • Pedro Álvarez (GTC & IAC)
    • Taft Armandroff (Keck)
    • Phil Charles (SALT)
    • Alvaro Giménez (CAB & ESA)
    • Mathew Greenhouse (NASA)
    • Thomas Henning (LBT & MPIA)
    • Masanori Iye (Subaru)
    • Bruno Leibundgut (ESO)
    • Jerry Nelson (TMT, UC Santa Cruz)
    • Jean Rene Roy (Gemini)
    • Alfonso Serrano (GMT)
    • William S. Smith (AURA)
    • Tony Tyson (LSST, UC Davis)
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