MUSE is one of the most recently installed instruments on the VLT.
First light took place a little more than one year ago, followed by several months of commissioning. MUSE has been in regular operation and open to the European community since October 2014. The instrument performance is excellent, and the first scientific results are very enticing. With its unprecedented capacity to observe the Universe both in volume and in depth, MUSE is revolutionizing the field of galaxy formation and evolution.
The deep 3D fields from MUSE will offer unique insights into the early universe by detecting galaxies 10 to 100 times fainter than what has been studied with HST, making it possible to observe the initial phases of matter assembly and galaxy formation. The impact of MUSE is not limited to cosmology, since this instrument also offers unique capabilities for studying nearby galaxies, clusters of stars and young stars in our own galaxy, and small bodies in our solar system.
The scientific consortium that developed the project over the past 10 years is now benefiting from 500 nights of guaranteed time on the VLT. Consortium members are actively executing an observing program that optimally exploits the capabilities of MUSE and meet every 6 months for a “Busy Week” to discuss the latest developments and plan for the future.
The 9th Busy Week will take place from June 15 – 19 at the Abbaye-Ecole de Sorèze, near Toulouse, France (http://www.abbaye-soreze.fr/en/ )
Around 50 scientists, including PhD students and post-docs, will meet to present their results from the first GTO observations, share their experience with the data reduction and analysis, and prepare for upcoming observing time. By inviting scientists to collaborate, the Busy Week meetings foster synergy between the different institutes and working groups, to the great advantage of the consortium. Sharing our experiences with working on the complex MUSE data from diverse observing programs allows the consortium to be at the forefront of each scientific topic.
