goddard 2015: kathy flanagan

53rd Goddard SymposiumThe Next Golden Age of Astronomy

March 12th 201553rd Goddard Symposium

Kathy Flanagan (Interim Director, STScI)

A NASA Legacy: The Great ObservatoriesThrough broad engagement, the US astronomy community outlines the

top scientific questions facing the field in “decadal” surveys1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Hubble Space Telescope (completion)Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (completion)Chandra X-ray Observatory (new)

Spitzer Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope WFIRST

The Great Observatory Science ModelUse Peer Review to Maximize Science Productivity Each Year Establishes broad community engagement Tackles diverse set of astrophysical questions in changing paradigms Open competition inspires creativity Ensures long-term scientific discovery potential Maximizes synergies with future facilities

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1100 professional astronomersproposed to use Hubble in 2014!

Wider AreaMore Power

Our Immediate FutureJWST + WFIRST

Hubble: The Foundation

A Simple Example: How Capable is WFIRST?OPENSThe Hubble Ultra Deep Field - 10,000 galaxies in one image

A GO Program WFIRST Deep Field will measure1,000,000 galaxies at Hubble-resolution

A Simple Example: How Capable is WFIRST?OPENS

A Vision Beyond the 2020s: Great Observatories 2.0

How does our Universe work?

A Vision Beyond the 2020s: Great Observatories 2.0How did we get here?

Are we alone?

The Next Golden Age of Astronomy - Panelists

John MatherMark Clampin

Alexey Vikhlinin