Peter Hastings

UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Peter Hastings is an instrumental figure in the development of advanced astronomical instrumentation, with a primary focus on enabling high-resolution, multi-object spectroscopy for next-generation observatories. His work has been pivotal in addressing the immense technical challenges of designing smart focal plane technologies for Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). Hastings’s major contributions include pioneering the use of image slicers for multiple integral field spectroscopy, a technique that allows astronomers to simultaneously capture spectra from dozens of discrete celestial sources with diffraction-limited spatial resolution. His detailed technical studies, such as those on robotic arms for relaying focal plane segments, have laid the groundwork for instruments that can observe over 100 objects at once in the infrared. While his most-cited papers—including "Progress on smart focal plane technologies for extremely large telescopes" and "Multiple integral field spectroscopy using image slicers"—each hold 2 citations, their influence is profound, directly shaping the design of key ELT instruments. Hastings’s work represents a critical bridge between theoretical optics and practical, deployable hardware, making him a respected name in the astronomical instrumentation community.