The Global Context of PFS: A Massively-Multiplexed Spectrograph on a 8 meter Telescope

Subaru’s Prime Focus Spectrograph will occupy an unique position in the armory of ground-based facilities in the coming decade. As a highly multiplexed instrument targeting a 1.2 degree diameter field on a 8 meter telescope, it offers unrivalled opportunities in detailed studies of faint stars and galaxies as well as rarer transient phenomena. We are on the threshold of reaping the benefit of a major investment in deep imaging through completion of the Vera C Rubin observatory and the Euclid and Nancy G Roman space missions. Several US and European studies have emphasized the need for a complementary spectroscopic capability alongside these surveys. In this context, I will discuss the legacy value of PFS beyond the near-term science goals proposed with the upcoming Subaru Strategic Program.