Pan-STARRS: the Next Generation in Survey Astronomy Has Arrived

Presented by Will Burgett, University of Hawaii

Although large and powerful ground-based and space-based optical telescopes (e.g., Keck, Subaru, and HST) provide spectacular images and utilize complex instrumentation for detailed scientific research, their power comes at the expense of narrow fields of view (telescope "tunnel vision"). This means that such systems greatly benefit from independent survey systems that can aid them in identifying objects of interest. In the past, compared to their "big brothers", wide field astronomical survey instruments have had limited depth and resolution. However, much of this disparity was reduced first with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and now even further with the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), the first of a next generation of survey systems. Pan-STARRS will produce a "fire hose" of optical data to extend research in dark energy, dark matter, extrasolar planets, and mapping our own solar system in unprecedented detail including identifications of potentially hazardous objects (PHOs). In this talk, I will present an overview of the science and technology of Pan-STARRS as well as the status of the Phase 1 prototype PS1 system. Even as a prototype, PS1 will be the world's most powerful survey system, is near the end of commissioning, is already collecting science data, and is expected to begin its science mission before the end of 2009.