Canadian efforts towards a future large telescope

A Very Large Optical Telescope (VLOT) was identified as a high priority project in the Canadian Long Range Plan for Astronomy that was published in early 2000. The VLOT concept is for a 20-m segmented mirror telscope that could replace the CFHT on Mauna Kea. Technical studies and some design work have been undertaken by both NRC-HIA and AMEC Dyanamic Structures over the past two years. VLOT effort is now funded at the 1M (Cdn) per year level. This presentation will describe the Canadian work to date.
Large Telescops and Virtual Observatory: Visions for the Future, 25th meeting of the IAU, Joint Discussion 8, 17 July 2003, Sydney, Australia