Astrometry Summer WorkshopThe Hipparcos astrometric satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope have fundamentally changed the way in which we look at astrometry. Exciting areas of research are now accessible due to the dramatic increases in accuracy provided by Hipparcos, HST and the next generation of astrometric space missions such as SIM (2010) and Gaia (2011). Dramatic improvements in detector technology have significantly improved our measurement precision and large ground-based facilities will enable us to probe more deeply into the universe. The potential for studies of the structure, kinematics and dynamics of our Galaxy, the physical nature of stars and the cosmological distance scale is without equal in the history of astronomy. These opportunities obligate us to assume responsibilities for insuring the success of the astrometric portions of the missions and facilities and for educating astronomers to use those instruments creatively and analyze the data with rigor. Individuals whose primary research focus is in fields other than astrometry will be anxious to exploit these observational capabilities and need training in some aspects of classical astrometry. In addition, many will need education in special techniques required to deal with advanced optical systems and analysis methods for dealing with extremely large volumes of data.
The idea for this Summer Workshop came as one recommendation from a survey of educational programs in Astrometry by van Altena and Stavinschi (2005). The findings were alarming, since extensive programs were identified only in Paris and St. Petersburg. Elsewhere in the world, most institutions known formerly for their educational programs in Astrometry have replaced retirements with individuals specializing in other areas. In the US there is only one institution where Astrometry is still taught. Given the immediate need for specialists in Astrometry to design, oversee and utilize the magnificent facilities now being planned, it seemed clear that we needed to take dramatic steps towards the preparation of new researchers in the field. The Yale Summer Workshop and the Michelson Summer Workshop are the first attempts to meet this need while the educational institutions reassess and revise their curricula to address the priorities set by the national astronomical advisory bodies. The goal of the Yale Summer Workshop is to provide an intensive introduction to astrometric methods needed to utilize the new facilities with advanced astrometric capabilities. Immediately following this one-week intensive Workshop in New Haven, the Michelson Science Center will hold a complementary one-week workshop at Caltech called "Discovering New Worlds Through Astrometry", http://msc.caltech.edu/workshop/2005/. The Yale Summer Workshop is designed to prepare students and researchers for astrometric research, while the MSW applies astrometry to the search for extra-solar planets, one of the frontier areas of modern astrophysics. Graduate students and researchers may take one or both courses, since there will be minimal overlap in the materials; the Yale course is not a prerequisite for the MSW workshop.
Reference
van Altena, W. F., and Stavinschi, M., 2005, "Astrometry in the Age of the Next Generation of Large Telescopes", ASP Conference Series, Vol. 000, 000, 2005, eds. P. K. Seidelmann and Alice K. B. Monet. (PDF file in above link)