Title: Week 2 Writing Assignment
Course: ASTRON103: The Evolving Universe: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology (001) DHH SU18 > Section: Week 2

Future Telescopes

Light is our primary source of information; powerful telescopes working in many different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are vital for astronomy research. For this assignment, you will write about a future telescope of your choice, describing the mission, its science goals, cost, and your personal opinions on the project.

Tasks

1. Research future telescopes (proposed, planned, or under construction). Refer to your Chapter 6 of the Astronomy textbook, and to the Internet, for some inspiration; and be sure to consider projects proposed and designed throughout the world (North/South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia).
2. Select one mission and consider the following questions:
  - What wavelength regime will the telescope operate at?
  - Will this telescope be on the ground or in space?
    - If ground based:
      - Why is it okay for this telescope to be on the ground?
      - Why is the chosen location appropriate?
    - If space based:
      - Why must this telescope be in space?
      - Why is the chosen orbit appropriate?
  - How long will it take to build this telescope?
  - How much will this telescope cost to complete?
  - How is it being funded?
  - Are there any controversies or debates related to this telescope?
  - Do you think this mission is worth its expense and effort?

Write-Up

Your final write-up should be 1–2 pages in length (around 800 words), uploaded as a Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Portable Document Format (.pdf) file.  You must incorporate all of the points mentioned above in your written piece for full credit. You may (and are encouraged to) expand your piece to cover any other topics or issues you find interesting, but please limit the length to 2 pages.