The Future of Small Telescopes in the New Millennium

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiv

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2. Small Telescopes in the New Millennium

   • John Huchra

   Pages 1-5

3. The Decade Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics

   • Christopher F. McKee, Joseph H. Taylor

   Pages 7-11

4. Community Perceptions of the Relative Worth of Large and Small Telescopes

   • Leslie J Sage

   Pages 13-19

5. Funding of the Essential Synergy Between Small and Large Telescopes

   • Wm. Bruce Weaver

   Pages 21-39

6. Small Telescopes: A Reporter’s Perspective

   • Robert Irion

   Pages 41-48

7. Scientific Impact of Small Telescopes

   • Leslie J Sage

   Pages 49-53

8. The Productivity of Ground-Based Optical Telescopes of Various Apertures

   • Helmut A. Abt

   Pages 55-64

9. The Future Operation of European Medium-Sized Telescopes: The Situation at Calar Alto Observatory

   • Roland Gredel

   Pages 65-83

10. The Roles of Small Telescopes in a Virtual Observatory Environment

    • S. G. Djorgovski

    Pages 85-95

11. Developing a Protocol and Implementing a Network for Ubiquitous Use of Telescopes over the Internet: Remote Telescope Mark-up Language — RTML

    • Carl Pennypacker, Jon Aymon, Shawn Gordon, Robert Denny, Frederic Hessman, David Barnaby et al.

    Pages 97-112

12. Small Telescopes in Astronomy Education

    • John R. Percy

    Pages 113-123

13. Big Glass on a Silicon Chip: The CLEA Project in the 21st Century

    • Laurence A. Marschall

    Pages 125-138

14. The International Small Telescope Cooperative (ISTeC)

    • Gary D. Henson

    Pages 139-145

15. Development, Construction and Plans for Small Telescopes in Japan

    • Takehiko Kuroda, Fumiaki Tsumuraya

    Pages 147-165

16. Simultaneous and Parallel Use of Small Telescopes for Astronomical Photometry

    • Kenji Tanabe

    Pages 167-173

17. International Aspects Between Central Europe and Central Asia

    • Juraj Zverko

    Pages 175-187

18. GNAT—A Global Network of Small Astronomical Telescopes

    • David L. Crawford, Eric R. Craine, Roy A. Tucker

    Pages 189-200

19. The International Perspective: From Small Astronomical Telescopes to the World Space Observatory

    • Hans J. Haubold, Willem Wamsteker

    Pages 201-225

20. Important Roles of Small Telescopes in Space

    • Yoji Kondo

    Pages 227-237

The motivation for these volumes is to provide a vision for the future of small telescopes. While this is an admirable task, ultimately I believe that­ as happens all the time in science - the prognostications will be overtaken by a rapidly changing scientific reality. As Virginia Trimble points out in chapter 1, the kinds of big questions that face us as astronomers today are rather different than the ones that drove the construction of astronomical facilities through much of the twentieth century. Right now, it appears that small telescopes will not have a lot of influence in answering those questions, though they will of course contribute enormously to the many issues discussed throughout the three volumes. Weare on the verge of opening a whole new parameter space that may revolutionize the way we think of small telescopes and their role in astronomy - the domain of the rapidly variable sky. While the LSST is the most prominent example, it is a long way in the future. Nemiroff & Rafert (chapter 2) consider the value of monitoring large parts of the sky on a continuous basis, using technology similar to a webcam. They have installed their CONCAM2 at four locations, including Kitt Peak. A related project, built and operated by the Harvard graduate student Gaspar Bakos - HAT-l (Hungarian Automated Telescope) - also is in operation at Kitt Peak.

• CCD
• Observatories
• astronomy
• cosmology
• stars

From the reviews:

"…The contributed papers cover a wide range of astronomical topics and form a superb case for the regeneration of small-telescope observational research. For astronomers at all levels. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. (A. R. Upgren, Choice, June 2004)

• Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, USA

  Terry D. Oswalt

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