Anglo-Australian Telescope Board (AATB) / Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) Fact Sheet 

KEY POINTS

• The Anglo-Australian Telescope Board (AATB) is an authority funded by the Governments of Australia and the United Kingdom. The AATB owns and manages the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) under the Anglo-Australian Telescope Agreement Act 1970 and the Anglo-Australian Telescope Agreement Amendment Act 2006.
  
  
• The purpose of the AAO is: (i) to provide world-class optical and infrared observing facilities enabling Australian and British astronomers to do excellent science; (ii) to be a world leader in astronomical research and in the development of innovative telescope instrumentation; and (iii) to take a leading role in the formulation of long-term plans for astronomy in Australia and the UK.
  
  
• The AAO operates the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and the UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) on Siding Spring Mountain near Coonabarabran; the AAO’s headquarters and laboratory are at Marsfield in Sydney. The AAO employs 66 scientists, engineers, technicians and auxiliary staff; 22 are located at Coonabarabran and 44 at Marsfield.
  
  
• Under the Anglo-Australian Telescope Agreement Amendment Act 2006, the UK is withdrawing from the AAO over the period to 30 June 2010, after which the AATB will cease to exist and the Australian Government will assume ownership of the AATB assets.
  
  
• On 12 May 2009, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research announced that new funding and governance arrangements will be implemented to support the operations of the AAO following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from involvement with the facility.
  
  
• Under the Government’s Super Science – Space and Astronomy initiative announced in the 2009 Budget, the Government committed an additional $20.9 million over four years for the operations of the AAO. This includes an additional $4.0 million in 2009-10 to compensate for the reduced UK funding.
  
  
• A statutory office holder will be established with expertise in astronomy to head the facility:
  

o       supported by an advisory committee to provide independent specialist advice into the conduct of the activity; and

o       supported by the remaining AAO staff who will be located within the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Relevant Legislation

The Anglo-Australian Telescope Board (AATB) operates under The Anglo-Australian Telescope Agreement Act 1970, which came into operation in February 1971. This was amended by the Anglo-Australian Telescope Agreement Amendment Act 2006 to allow the withdrawal of the UK Government over the period to June 2010, after which the AATB ceases to exist and the Australian Government becomes sole owner of AATB assets.

Legislation to establish the new AAO governance arrangements will be introduced to Parliament in the Spring 2009 sittings and is expected to be passed in Autumn 2010.

Length of program and proposed annual budget over the program's life

Until 30 June 2010, the funding will be provided to the AATB. From that date, funding for the activity will be brought within the Department. Funding terminates on 30 June 2019.

Facilities and recent achievements

The AATB operates the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO), which manages the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), a 4-metre class optical/infrared telescope that provides Australian astronomers with leading-edge observing facilities with which to undertake astronomical research; the AAT is the only world-class optical telescope based in Australia. The AAO also operates the smaller UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST). Both telescopes are situated on Siding Spring Mountain, near Coonabarabran in NSW, on land leased from the Australian National University’s Siding Spring Observatory.

The AAO maintains a world-leading astronomical instrumentation program at its headquarters and laboratory at Marsfield in Sydney. The AAO designs and builds instruments for its own facilities and for major international telescopes around the world. It is the recognized world-leader in fibre-optic spectrographs and has built instruments for the European Southern Observatory and the Japanese National Large Telescope.

The AAT provides more than two-thirds of Australia’s national telescope capability for optical astronomy. An independent international study of all optical observatories in 2005 found that the AAT was the most productive and highest-impact telescope in its class worldwide, and had the third-highest scientific impact of any optical telescope. The AAT produced a quarter of the top 1% most-cited papers in astronomy and had nearly twice as many citations as the any other 4-metre class telescope. This outstanding productivity and impact is based on the AAO’s commitment to providing world-leading instrumentation and top-quality support for users.

Role of the Department in managing and planning for the future of the AAO

During 2009-10, the Department will administer the Australian Government's annual appropriation that supports the activities of the AATB, the tabling of the AAO Annual Reports, and the processes for the appointment of Australian members of the AATB.

The Department also administers the NCRIS program, which is providing capital investment in the AAO, managed through Astronomy Australia Limited. This is addressing the AAO's needs for a major new instrument and the refurbishment of the AAT.

The Department is currently working with the AAO to implement the new governance and funding arrangements for the AAO that will take effect from 1 July 2010.