What's On Tap For the Next Ten Years of Astronomy? Find Exo-Earths and Figure Out Dark Energy
ALMA Sunrise ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)Survey of scientists compiles astronomical wishlist for the next decade The future of astronomy is an amped-up search for exoplanets and for a greater understanding of how the universe formed and evolved, according to a sweeping survey released today. The much-anticipated Astro2010 Decadal Survey obtained wide input from the astronomy and astrophysics communities about which science projects the U.S. government should prioritize in the next 10 years. Their wish list includes two new telescopes -- one on earth, one in space -- that should help scientists investigate dark energy, supernovae and exoplanets. It's interesting to note how astronomers' interests have shifted in the past decade -- during the last survey in 2001, most people had never heard of dark energy or extrasolar planets, and research into the topics was only just beginning. Now, astronomers' top priorities are settling questions about the nature of dark energy and determining the prevalence...