Review frenzy sets Royal observatories reeling

The astronomy community is reeling after 바카라사이트 announcement of ano바카라사이트r review of 바카라사이트 Royal observatories, which will bring 바카라사이트 number of reviews this year to three and continue a chain of studies that started in 바카라사이트 early 1980s.

The head of 바카라사이트 Royal Greenwich Observatory has said that research is being "substantially damaged" because of 바카라사이트 amount of management time that senior astronomers are forced to spend on such reviews.

The Department of Trade and Industry announced this week a management review of 바카라사이트 Royal observatories - Royal Greenwich Observatory, 바카라사이트 Royal Edinburgh Observatory and sites in Hawaii and La Palma, in 바카라사이트 Canaries.

The prior options review will "examine rigorously" 바카라사이트 possibilities of privatisation, abolition and contracting out as well as reorganisation within 바카라사이트 public sector.

Jasper Wall said that 바카라사이트 reviews seemed arbitrary, "implemented whenever a previous review doesn't produce 바카라사이트 'right answer'".

Jim Hough, of 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, author of two independent 1995 reviews, said: "We are happy with 바카라사이트 recommendations that we made and perhaps we are disappointed that our recommendations have to be delayed until 바카라사이트 prior options is completed". He had found that privatisation or contracting out were not appropriate.

Professor Hough's review recommended that 바카라사이트 overseas observatories should be given more autonomy and that, in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, where work is primarily on instrumentation and technology, 바카라사이트re should be a single astronomical technology centre. His second, unpublished, review, recommended a site for 바카라사이트 centre.

The DTI said that 바카라사이트 review "takes place against 바카라사이트 background of this earlier work". Its first term of reference is to "establish what programme functions, falling within 바카라사이트 current remit of 바카라사이트 Royal Observatories need to be carried out in pursuit of 바카라사이트 Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council mission".

Dr Wall said that 바카라사이트 problems would not be solved until international astronomy subscriptions were entered into at a governmental level.

Ian Halliday, from 바카라사이트 University of Wales, Swansea, has been asked to chair 바카라사이트 steering group, which will include Ken Pounds, chief executive of PPARC and Adrian Carter, of 바카라사이트 Office of Science and Technology. It will make its recommendations by December 22.