How often do astronomers use the telescope?
Some projects require a lot of observing time, others require just a couple of nights. On average, astronomers use the telescope only a few nights a year. Astronomers spend a long time (typically weeks or months) to prepare their observing runs. This includes determining the priority and making backup plans for unpredictable weather. Once the data have been obtained, a great deal of time will be spent on analysis. It often takes months or even years to turn the raw data into scientific results. Astronomers spend most of their time on this analysis, researching others’ work, discussions with collaborators to fit results into a big picture, and describing the results in papers to publish.
