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The Science of AST

Modern astronomy is in a golden age. Discoveries and new insights constantly force us to revise our perspective of the Universe. Often these discoveries sound as much like science fiction as science fact. Terms such as the Big Bang; black holes; gamma-ray bursters; voids in space; gravitational lenses; dark matter; and dark energy are not only part of the working language of the scientist; they have attracted great public appeal as well. Such discoveries reveal the Universe to be much richer and more varied than was dreamed possible by previous generations, and they pose bold, new challenges to current-day scientists.

A few over-arching scientific questions provide long term direction for astronomy.

  • How did the Universe begin, what is its structure and geometry, and what is its ultimate fate?


  • How did galaxies and clusters of galaxies form from the intergalactic medium, and how do they evolve?


  • How are stars and planets - including the Sun and our Solar System - formed, and how do they evolve?


Answering these fundamental questions is the goal of astronomical research. They form the basic science drivers underlying the aspirations of our community for the support of individual investigator research programs, for the completion and operation of major facilities and instruments for a new generation of observatories, and for a vigorous program of advanced development aimed at new technologies and techniques.

NSF's investments - together with those of private, state, and other federal agencies - have provided the US astronomical community with the most powerful research facilities in the world and have fostered the development of institutions whose faculty and students are universally respected for their imagination, enterprise, and skill. As we begin the 21st century, the US scientific community continues to develop and commission a new generation of ground-based instruments and telescopes that span the entire electromagnetic and particle spectrum observable from the Earth's surface. These new facilities promise a 10-fold gain in angular resolution and a 100-fold gain in sensitivity over those of just a decade ago. Together with advances in detector technology, computing power, and a suite of space-based facilities, this promises a revolution in our ability to explore the Universe. We are in the midst of a unique conjunction of theoretical ideas, experimental realities, and technological possibilities - truly, a golden age for astronomy.

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