Throughout the history of modern astronomy, the introduction of new theories and new technologies has led to giant leaps in our understanding not only of astronomy but also of physics and cosmology. The story began with the Copernican revolution and continued with Galileo’s introduction of the optical telescope, the successive openings of the radio, X-ray, γ-ray, and, most recently and spectacularly, the gravitational wave and neutrino windows of the Universe. Despite the wealth of multiwavelength observations on diverse timescales, optical observations remain the driving force behind all our campaigns from the smallest systems like stars and compact objects to the largest black holes and structures in the observable Universe. “The Universe at optical wavelengths” is an IAU-HOW workshop to take place early next year, between 12 and 23 January 2025 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), hosted by the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy Space Sciences and Technology, the University of Sharjah, and supported by the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences. There has been a steadily increasing investment in astrophysics research in the UAE both in terms of establishing Master’s and Ph.D. programs, but also building new observatories and launching CubeSats. Our workshop comes at an opportune time to bring together the broader Arab community with world-leading experts in observations and modeling. Through lectures, hands-on data analysis, and leveraging the vast publicly available data and analysis tools from the ESO archive, we aim to train the next generation of Arab astrophysicists. Our workshop will not only open new avenues for collaboration and exciting science between international institutions and the Arab world but will also have a long-lasting impact on astrophysics research in the UAE.
Optical astronomy has been the driving force in astrophysics and cosmology since the very beginning. Even in this big-data multimessenger era, optical has a prominent role among the largest astrophysics and cosmology experiments (e.g., Vera C. Rubin – LSST). However, photometry is only one component of the light we see from the majority of the astrophysical systems. Spectroscopy and polarimetry can provide invaluable information for the astrophysical processes in different systems and allow us to uncover their true properties. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has spearheaded the European efforts to understand the optical Universe. There is now a large number of facilities and instruments that have been observing the night sky for decades, compiling one of the largest astronomical data archives. This not only provides countless opportunities for discovery but also the optimal training ground for young astronomers.
While traditionally the USA and Europe have been at the forefront of astrophysics and science in general, lately there have been tremendous steps in science initiatives from developing countries. These come mostly in terms of infrastructure, such as building new astronomical observatories. Chile, South Africa, and India serve as bright examples where major investments have recently been made to fund research in astrophysics. As a result, some of these countries have been chosen to host very important projects by large international collaborations (e.g., CTA, LSST, SKA, LIGO, TMT). However, while developing astronomical infrastructure is necessary, developing a strong human component is equally important. Collaborative efforts and communication avenues between world-leading institutions and under-represented countries can not only lead to a more diverse and inclusive astrophysics community, but the confluence of different mindsets and perspectives can also give a fresh impetus towards solving pressing astrophysical problems.