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Special Report: The Future of Astronomy
How many astronomers will it take
to change a light bulb 10 years from now? Answer: all three
of them. The way the job market and federal budget are heading,
this may be no joke. As researchers grope, schools are leaving
thousands of kids in the dark about science and its significance
for their lives. What can astronomers do today to ensure a brighter
tomorrow?
Mercury
has asked 12 leading astronomers for their thoughts on some
of the most important issues facing the discipline. Several
common themes have emerged: Astronomers and their institutions
must remain flexible to respond to scientific and political
change; they must justify their share of public funds honestly
and directly; and they must strengthen their connections with
each other, be they researchers, amateurs, or educators.
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- Introduction,
by Bruce W. Carney
- The
U.S. National Observatories, by John J. Salzer
- Telescope
Size, by Suzanne L. Hawley
- Independent
Observatories, by Frank N. Bash
- Space-Based
Astronomy, by David J. Helfand
- Political
Advocacy, by Sallie L. Baliunas
- Radio
Astronomy, by Jack Welch
- Computers,
by Gene G. Byrd, Richard H. Miller, and Sethanne Howard
- Publishing,
by Peter B. Boyce
- The
Job Market, by Jason A. Cardelli
- Amateur
Astronomy, by Ken W. Willcox
- Education,
by John R. Percy
- Planetariums,
by James G. Manning
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Departments
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Editorial,
by George Musser |
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Letters to the Editor |
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Society News |
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World
Beat: India, by Jayant
V. Narlikar
Teaching or research? For Indian
astronomers, the choice used to be stark. Universities lacked
the most basic facilities, while private institutes got world-class
instruments. Since 1988, however, a new research center has
let university faculty and students do science, too. |
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Black Holes to Blackboards, by Jeffrey
F. Lockwood
Look on the bright side: Kids
aren't as gullible as they're sometimes made out to be. They
won't discard one of their ideas just because you've told them
to. But their resistance does make it difficult to overcome
misconceptions. |
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Guest
Observer, by James C.
White II
Observing Venus's changing phases.
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SkyChart, by Robert A. Garfinkle
For years, the ASP has provided
members with the excellent star charts prepared by Abrams Planetarium
in East Lansing, Mich. All along, we wanted to prepare our own
charts, custom-tailored to the needs of our members -- but we
just didn't have the time or expertise. At long last, help has
arrived in the person of Bob Garfinkle, an amateur astronomer
for 40 years and author of Star-Hopping: Your Visa to
Viewing the Universe. He has designed these charts for
the naked-eye viewer. We welcome your suggestions. |
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Echoes of the Past, by Katherine Bracher
Astronomers are compulsive planners.
They have to be: It takes a long time to design a new observatory
and to get the cash to build it. Unfortunately, planning doesn't
always make it come true. |
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The Mercury index to NSF grants in
astronomy. |
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