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Major Observatories Versus Economy-Class Observatories in Space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Freeman J. Dyson
Freeman J. Dyson*
Affiliation:
Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ

Abstract

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Big space-instruments are essential for observing fine details of selected objects. Small space-instruments are essential for scanning large areas of sky, for discovering and cataloguing new objects, and for monitoring variable or transient sources of radiation. If astronomy is to flourish, both types of instrument must be provided. The problem is not to choose between big and small. The problem is to find the optimum mixture of big and small. Various examples from past history and from future plans illustrate the importance of maintaining a variety of different types of instrument.

Type
IV. Relative Merits of Various Observatories
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 123: Observatories in Earth Orbit and Beyond , 1990 , pp. 399 - 405
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1990

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