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We present an example of low-carbon research activity carried out by astrophysicists and focused on ecology and environmental protection, with direct impacts on territories and society. This project serves as an illustration of action…
The Pierre Auger Observatory, a hybrid detector for the study of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), is now approaching completion. After describing Auger present status and performance, with an emphasis on the advantages provided by…
The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, is the largest flying observatory ever built,consisting of a 2.7-meter diameter telescope embedded in a modified Boeing 747-SP aircraft. SOFIA is a joint project between NASA…
In the coming decade, up to 100 000 satellites in large constellations could be launched into low Earth orbit. The satellites will introduce a variety of negative impacts on astronomy observatories and science, which vary from negligible to…
We describe briefly the properties of the recently completed Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), along with its first light imager SALTICAM. Using this instrument, we present 4.3 hr of high speed unfiltered photometric observations of…
The astorb database at Lowell Observatory is an actively curated catalog of all known asteroids in the Solar System. astorb has heritage dating back to the 1970's and has been publicly accessible since the 1990's. Beginning in 2015 work…
This article presents a review of recent results and an outlook of kaon physics. After enjoying a renaissance, the discipline is now becoming and endangered species. Action will be needed to keep kaon physics at the heart of future FPCP…
The COSMO K-Coronagraph is scheduled to replace the aging Mk4 K-Coronameter at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in 2013. We present briefly the science objectives and derived requirements, and…
In 2005, the United States Congress passed a bill mandating the detection, tracking, cataloguing and characterization of 90\% of the 140 meter and larger near-Earth objects (NEOs) by 2020. At the deadline $\sim$35\% were detected, tracked…
It is very difficult to find archival images of solar system objects. While regular archive searches can find images at a fixed location, they cannot find images of moving targets. Archival images have become increasingly useful to galactic…
In the African continent, South Africa has world-class astronomical facilities for advanced radio astronomy research. With the advent of the Square Kilometre Array project in South Africa (SA SKA), six countries in Africa (SA SKA partner…
For the first time in human history, technologies have matured sufficiently to enable a mission capable of discovering and characterizing habitable planets like Earth orbiting sunlike stars other than the Sun. At the same time, such a…
In the 70s of the last century, the stratospheric solar observatory "Saturn" with a 100cm telescope was launched at Pulkovo Observatory. The photographs and spectra obtained on it for more than 45 years remained record-breaking in angular…
The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) develops the technical standards needed for seamless discovery of and access to astronomy data worldwide, according to the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR)…
The James Webb Space Telescope will enable a wealth of new scientific investigations in the near- and mid-infrared, with sensitivity and spatial/spectral resolution greatly surpassing its predecessors. In this paper, we focus upon Solar…
The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) is located on top of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, at an altitude of 4.2 km. The existing suite of facility heterodyne receivers covering the submillimeter band is rapidly aging and in need of replacement.…
The searches for other life and for intelligence are fundamental problems that science faces today. Most searches so far have been focused on radio, but optical laser communication is an alternative, well suited for a ground-based…
In this white paper (WP), we highlight several examples of small and moderate aperture telescopes that are being used for education and/or research. We further discuss potential costs for establishing new, small observatories, as well as…
We describe the second telescope of the Wise Observatory, a 0.46-m Centurion 18 (C18) installed in 2005, which enhances significantly the observing possibilities. The telescope operates from a small dome and is equipped with a large-format…
PILOT (the Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope) is a proposed 2.5 m optical/infrared telescope to be located at Dome C on the Antarctic plateau. Conditions at Dome C are known to be exceptional for astronomy. The seeing…