[ASA] Large Telescope Access Working Group report and next steps

[Stuart Ryder (AAL)]

Dear colleagues,

  As you will no doubt be aware, the Australian Government decided that Australia would not join as full members of ESO after the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership. In anticipation of such a decision being made, the National Committee for Astronomy (NCA) and Astronomy Australia Ltd (AAL) convened a Large Telescopes Access Working Group (LTAWG) to prepare a range of options for achieving the number one priority of the 2026-35 Astronomy Decadal Plan (DP) – namely to “ensure sustainable, ongoing access to 8-metre-class telescopes, a next-generation 30-metre-class telescope, and the millimetre-wavelength Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Observatory”.

  The LTAWG met from February through to April and a summary of their findings was presented at the online Town Hall event on Friday 8 May which provided valuable feedback from the community including:


  1.  A view that instrumentation must be the foundation, leading to a greater focus on partnership(s) rather than simply buying nights;
  2.  Access to the International Gemini Observatory should be actively considered alongside Keck, Subaru, and Magellan;
  3.  Existing ESO relationships must be preserved; and
  4.  The strategy must balance immediacy and ambition, by maintaining access from 2027 while building strategic capability in the longer term.

The attached final version of the LTAWG options report attempts to take this feedback into account.

  The NCA and AAL are now preparing a strategy based on this LTAWG options report and taking into account other discussions with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) that have further clarified the Australian Government’s priorities. NCA and AAL will engage closely with the Heads of Astronomy Departments group and then brief the astronomy community on progress at the two Town Hall events on “Large telescope access and the future of the AAT” during the ASA meeting next month in Canberra. There will also be a specific opportunity for early career researchers to ask questions and make suggestions during the ECR townhall.

  NCA and AAL are working to engage with DISR, the Science Minister and his Office to ensure that they have an understanding of the astronomy community’s needs and an appreciation of the costs and impacts of various options for supporting optical astronomy in Australia. We expect this to be an ongoing discussion throughout this calendar year and will keep you updated when we have news we can share.


Regards,

Sarah Brough (NCA) and Alex Cooke (AAL)

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