Report of the ESO Workshop: Ground-based Thermal Infrared Astronomy -- Past, Present and Future

TL;DR

This report summarizes the discussions and outcomes of the ESO workshop on ground-based thermal infrared astronomy, highlighting its scientific goals, technological developments, and future prospects in the field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the current state, challenges, and future directions of ground-based thermal infrared astronomy based on the workshop discussions.

Findings

High community interest in thermal infrared astronomy

Advances in instrumentation and observational techniques

Identified future research priorities

Abstract

The ESO workshop "Ground-based thermal infrared astronomy" was held on-line October 12-16, 2020. Originally planned as a traditional in-person meeting at ESO in Garching in April 2020, it was rescheduled and transformed into a fully on-line event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With 337 participants from 36 countries the workshop was a resounding success, demonstrating the wide interest of the astronomical community in the science goals and the toolkit of ground-based thermal infrared astronomy.