30 Years of STIS and the Future of UV Astronomy

Join us for a 3-day workshop focusing on the achievements, prospects, and frontiers of UV astronomy.

This spring marks the 30th anniversary of the installation of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, ushering in a new era of UV astronomy. As we look back at this legacy, we also must strategize for the next two decades of UV astronomy, including the ground-breaking non-flagship missions currently being built, as well as the extraordinary capabilities enabled by the planned Habitable Worlds Observatory. In this workshop, we will explore the past, present, and future of UV astronomy, designed with the following themes:

Day 1: HST and STIS: What has been accomplished in the past 3 decades? What is there still to be done? How do we preserve and enhance HST’s legacy?

Day 2: Mind the Gap: What will the time between HST and HWO look like? What future UV missions are being developed? How do we develop and preserve expertise during this time?

Day 3: HWO: What UV capabilities do we need HWO to have? What science cases will it enable? What precursor science must be done before launch?