Invited_talk abstract details
The Impact of Future Space Observatories on PN research
Abstract
Orbiting Space Observatories have played an important role in planetary
nebulae research, providing data from otherwise inaccessible regions of
the electromagnetic spectrum and, particularly in the case of the Hubble
Space Telescope, angular resolutions that have been unobtainable from the
ground. But during the next few years the HST and Herschel observatories
are expected to cease operations, while the XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray
observatories, both launched in 1999, have already exceeded their design
lifetimes by large margins.
Two new large astronomy missions are planned for the coming decade: ESA's
GAIA, which is scheduled to be launched in 2013 for a 5-year mission, will
determine positions, parallaxes and proper motions for a vast number of
stars out to several tens of kpc; and the NASA/ESA 6.5m James Webb Space
Telescope, an infrared observatory with many capabilities, now unfortunately
delayed towards the end of the decade. In addition, the JAXA ASTRO-H X-ray
mission, with key spectroscopic capabilities, is scheduled for launch in 2014.
These missions can potentially have a significant impact on research on planetary nebulae and related objects - I will attempt to describe some of the opportunities that they will provide.
nebulae research, providing data from otherwise inaccessible regions of
the electromagnetic spectrum and, particularly in the case of the Hubble
Space Telescope, angular resolutions that have been unobtainable from the
ground. But during the next few years the HST and Herschel observatories
are expected to cease operations, while the XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray
observatories, both launched in 1999, have already exceeded their design
lifetimes by large margins.
Two new large astronomy missions are planned for the coming decade: ESA's
GAIA, which is scheduled to be launched in 2013 for a 5-year mission, will
determine positions, parallaxes and proper motions for a vast number of
stars out to several tens of kpc; and the NASA/ESA 6.5m James Webb Space
Telescope, an infrared observatory with many capabilities, now unfortunately
delayed towards the end of the decade. In addition, the JAXA ASTRO-H X-ray
mission, with key spectroscopic capabilities, is scheduled for launch in 2014.
These missions can potentially have a significant impact on research on planetary nebulae and related objects - I will attempt to describe some of the opportunities that they will provide.