The coronavirus pandemic has changed all of our lives the past couple of months and will continue to change our lives for some time to come. The long term ramifications are yet unknown. For some, the changes are small while for others the changes are very drastic. The field of astronomy is no different.
Many telescopes used by astronomers can be remotely operated, but that doesn't mean there aren't delays or shutdowns in observing sessions. Depending on who has to be at the telescope for maintenance, remotely operated telescopes may be down. Telescopes currently under construction, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, are facing additional delays as workers are sent home or only a few can work at a time with stringent social distancing rules in place.
Another concern astronomers are facing is an upcoming budget shortfall. With the overall economy taking a huge hit, educational institutions that support many astronomers are likely to suffer major budget shortfalls. How will this affect the work of astronomers? Will astronomers working at government labs see shortfalls in science research budgeting? We don't know at this point but the future is not rosy in this area. There will almost certainly be budget cuts. The question is how drastic the cuts will be.
For more information, here is a great article looking at the specifics of how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting astronomy.
Coronavirus pandemic delays major astronomy projects
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