Author: cviewadmin

AAS Division For Planetary Sciences Announces 2017 Prize Winners

The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has named its prize winners for 2017.

Margaret KivelsonThe Gerard P. Kuiper Prize for outstanding contributions to planetary science goes to Margaret G. Kivelson (University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Michigan) for her work studying Jupiter’s magnetospheric plasmas to understand the interiors of planets and their moons. Kivelson’s pioneering discoveries of an ocean inside Jupiter’s moon Europa and a magnetic field generated by neighboring Ganymede showed us that these icy bodies are not inert but dynamic worlds. Her insights have spurred us to recognize that habitability need not depend on proximity to the Sun in the traditional habitable zone. As a direct result of Kivelson’s advancements, we now recognize that the ocean worlds of the outer solar system may represent our best chances for discovering life beyond Earth.

portrait painted by Pamela Davis Kivelson

Bethany EhlmannBethany L. Ehlmann (California Institute of Technology) will receive the Harold C. Urey Prize for outstanding achievement in planetary research by an early-career scientist for her work using spectroscopy to determine the mineralogy of Mars’s surface and the extent of the red planet’s previous habitability. Dr. Ehlmann’s discovery of carbonates, serpentines, and clay minerals in Mars’s most ancient rocks shows that multiple types of clement and hospitable environments existed early in Martian history, especially the most ancient groundwater-fed environments as yet unvisited by rovers. Her inspiring work has motivated the development of Mars exploration strategies and methods, has been applied to other solar system bodies, and will continue to drive planetary science forward.

Louise ProckterReceiving the Harold Masursky Award for meritorious service to planetary science is Louise M. Prockter (Lunar and Planetary Institute) for her tireless participation and leadership serving on National Research Council boards and NASA committees, which has ensured that the community’s voice is heard and that science priorities are established and followed. Her work with engineers has extended the scientific return of multiple NASA missions beyond their original goals. By setting up support groups and mentoring female scientists, Prockter ensured faster development of early-career researchers who have made strong contributions to the field. By choosing to serve, Prockter and the committees on which she has participated have advanced the field of planetary science and engaged more scientists successfully in discovery.

Megan SchwambThis year the DPS is awarding not one, but two Carl Sagan Medals for excellence in public communication by active planetary scientists. One medal goes to Megan E. Schwamb (Gemini Observatory) for the creation and development of new tools and venues to facilitate planetary science communication. Schwamb created the Astrotweeps project in which a different astronomer drives the same Twitter account (@astrotweeps) each week. She started Astronomy on Tap to promote direct dissemination of planetary science in bars and restaurants. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of Schwamb’s outreach work, though, revolves around creating a channel for communication in the other direction by enabling amateurs to contribute to ongoing research. The citizen science of Planet Hunters and Planet Four, facilitated by Schwamb, form the basis of this new mode of interaction.

Henry ThroopAlso receiving the Carl Sagan Medal is Henry B. Throop (Planetary Science Institute) for his efforts to kindle interest in worlds beyond Earth throughout the developing world. Throop’s presentations in South Africa, India, Namibia, Botswana, Nepal, and Mexico reach audiences who might otherwise not be exposed to planetary science. He closely collaborates with teachers and works with a diverse group of students and the public to stimulate their curiosity and show them how they can explore the world around them. With his engaging personality and genuine interest in interacting with students and teachers in far-flung places, Throop presents a positive face for science using planetary exploration as a driver.

Josh SokolThe Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award for distinguished popular writing goes to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based science writer Joshua Sokol for his article “Hidden Depths” in the 13 August 2016 issue of New Scientist. In his thoroughly researched and beautifully written story, Sokol explains how icy worlds far from the Sun’s warmth, such as Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, can maintain subsurface oceans. After describing the otherworldly environment of our own planet’s deep seafloor and the creatures that dwell there, he explores how hydrothermal and chemical processes within extraterrestrial oceans might support microbes or other forms of life. Sokol’s article ends with the compelling and provocative suggestion that ice worlds with concealed oceans may be the norm, making Earth — with its exposed oceans — an outlier.

“Announcing these prizes is the highlight of the spring planetary sciences calendar,” says DPS Chair Lucy McFadden. “I look forward to presenting these awards to the winners in person this coming October at the 49th annual meeting of the DPS in Provo, Utah.”

Contact:

Shantanu Naidu

DPS Press Officer

[email protected]

Lucy McFadden

DPS Chair

[email protected]

More information about DPS prizes:

prizes

49th annual DPS meeting, Provo, Utah, 15-20 October 2017:

https://aas.org/meetings/dps49

The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS), founded in 1968, is the largest special-interest Division of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Members of the DPS study the bodies of our own solar system, from planets and moons to comets and asteroids, and all other solar-system objects and processes. With the discovery that planets exist around other stars, the DPS has expanded its scope to include the study of extrasolar planetary systems as well.

Newsletter 17-21

Issue 17-21, May 30, 2017

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

1) MICHAEL F. A’HEARN VISITATION AND FUNERAL NOTICE

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

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MICHAEL F. A’HEARN VISITATION AND FUNERAL NOTICE

 

Mike passed away on Monday, May 29, 2017, at his home in
University Park, MD. He had a deep love of science and gregarious
nature, always able to make a positive difference in whatever he did.
An obituary will be forthcoming.

Mike was the beloved husband of Maxine C. A’Hearn; father of Brian J.
(Zlata) of Oxford, UK, Kevin P. (Kanlayane) of Vienna, VA, and Patrick
N. A’Hearn of Seattle, WA; grandfather of Sean, Brendan, Marie, Eliane,
and Gabriel.

Relatives and friends may call at:

Visitation
Wednesday, May 31, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM
Collins Funeral Home
500 University Boulevard West
Silver Spring, MD
(Valet Parking)

Funeral
Thursday, June 1, at 10 AM
Mass of Christian Burial
Holy Redeemer Church
Berwyn Rd & 49th Avenue
College Park, MD

Interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to:

S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat)
71 O Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
http://www.some.org

or

Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21297
http://www.crs.org

 

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

Nathan Bridges 1966-2017

Nathan Bridges, a planetary research scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), died on April 26. He was 50 years old.

Bridges, who joined APL’s Planetary Exploration (SRE) Group in 2009, was a senior expert on the geology of Mars, remote sensing techniques, and the role of wind-driven processes in planetary erosion and sedimentation on Earth, Mars, and Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Among his many important findings, Bridges discovered that wind is as important a geologic process on Mars as it is on Earth, despite the much lower density of the Martian atmosphere.

He was an integral part of multiple Mars missions and instrument teams: he served as a Co-Investigator on the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a Co-Investigator on the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover) ChemCam instrument, and a science teammember on two Mars-2020 rover instruments, SuperCam and the Mars EnvironmentalDynamics Analyzer.

Bridges was also an associate research professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, where he taught a class and advised graduate students. Additionally, he took leadership roles in the international planetary science community. For example, he served as editor of the American Geophysical Union publication EOS, secretary of the AGU Planetary Science Section, guest editor of several special issues of the journal Icarus, and on numerous NASA panels and advisory committees.

Bridges developed research collaborations with colleagues from around the world. His work included field studies at dune fields on Earth, experiments in wind tunnels to simulate conditions on other planets, and analysis of data from spacecraft observations.

He earned a B.A. in geology from the University of Colorado in 1989, an M.S. in geology from Arizona State University in 1992, and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Massachusetts in 1997. He spent twelve years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, before joining APL.

Bridges is survived by his wife Karen, daughter Sarah, and son Matthew.

A tribute to Bridges from the Planetary Society, of which he was a member since 1980, can be read here.

 

Newsletter 17-20

Issue 17-20, May 13, 2017

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

  1. IN MEMORIAM: NATHAN BRIDGES (1966-2017)
  2. DPS ELECTIONS 2017: CANDIDATE SLATE
  3. NOMINATIONS FOR THE 7TH PAOLO FARINELLA PRIZE NOW OPEN
  4. JWST EXPOSURE TIME CALCULATOR (ETC) WEBINAR FOR SOLAR SYSTEM SCIENCE
  5. AAS LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS DIVISION (LAD) 2017 ELECTIONS OPEN
  6. LLOYD V. BERKNER SPACE POLICY INTERNSHIPS AUTUMN 2017
  7. SUMMER SCHOOL IN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS FOR ASTRONOMY
  8. NASA SMD SEEKS PROPOSAL REVIEWERS
  9. SOFIA CYCLE 6 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
  10.  SBAG ANNOUNCEMENT: PSP WHITE PAPER NOW AVAILABLE

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

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IN MEMORIAM: NATHAN BRIDGES (1966-2017)

 

Nathan Bridges, a planetary research scientist at the Johns Hopkins University

Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), died on April 26. He was 50 years old.

 

Bridges, who joined APL’s Planetary Exploration (SRE) Group in 2009, was a

senior expert on the geology of Mars, remote sensing techniques, and the role

of wind-driven processes in planetary erosion and sedimentation on Earth, Mars,

and Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Among his many important findings, Bridges

discovered that wind is as important a geologic process on Mars as it is on Earth,

despite the much lower density of the Martian atmosphere.

 

He was an integral part of multiple Mars missions and instrument teams: he served

as a Co-Investigator on the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE)

instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a Co-Investigator on the Mars

Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover) ChemCam instrument, and a science team

member on two Mars-2020 rover instruments, SuperCam and the Mars Environmental

Dynamics Analyzer. 

 

Bridges was also an associate research professor in the Department of Earth

and Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, where he taught a class

and advised graduate students. Additionally, he took leadership roles in the

international planetary science community. For example, he served as editor

of the American Geophysical Union publication EOS, secretary of the AGU

Planetary Science Section, guest editor of several special issues of the journal

Icarus, and on numerous NASA panels and advisory committees.

 

Bridges developed research collaborations with colleagues from around the

world. His work included field studies at dune fields on Earth, experiments

in wind tunnels to simulate conditions on other planets, and analysis of data

from spacecraft observations.

 

He earned a B.A. in geology from the University of Colorado in 1989, an M.S.

in geology from Arizona State University in 1992, and a Ph.D. in geology

from the University of Massachusetts in 1997. He spent twelve years at

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, before joining APL.

 

Bridges is survived by his wife Karen, daughter Sarah, and son Matthew. 

 

A tribute to Bridges from the Planetary Society, of which he was a member

since 1980, can be read here.

 

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DPS ELECTIONS 2017: CANDIDATE SLATE

 

The DPS Nominating Subcommittee has identified the following candidates

for the 2017 DPS elections for Vice Chair and Committee :

 

Vice-Chair (1 to be elected):

o Reggie Hudson, Goddard Space Flight Center

o Linda Spilker, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech

 

Committee (2 to be elected):

o Michele Bannister, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

o David Morrison, NASA Ames

o Migo Mueller, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

o Padma Yanamandra-Fisher, Space Science Institute

 

Additional candidates, supported by a petition of at least 20 DPS members,

may be nominated by May 24th. Please send any nominations to the

DPS Secretary, Anne Verbiscer, at [email protected].

 

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NOMINATIONS FOR THE 7TH PAOLO FARINELLA PRIZE NOW OPEN

 

To honor the memory and the outstanding figure of Paolo Farinella (1953-2000),

an extraordinary scientist and person, a prize has been established in recognition

of significant contributions given in the fields of interest of Paolo, which span

from planetary sciences to space geodesy, fundamental physics, science

popularization, security in space, weapons control and disarmament. The prize

has been proposed during the “International Workshop on Paolo Farinella, the

scientist and the man”, held in Pisa in 2010, and is supported by the following

Italian Institutions: University of Pisa, ASI, INAF, IFAC-CNR.

Previous recipients of the “Paolo Farinella Prize” were:

– 2011: William F. Bottke, for his contribution to the field of “Physics and
         dynamics of small solar system bodies”
– 2012: John Chambers, for his contribution to the field of “Formation and
         early evolution of the solar system “
– 2013: Patrick Michel, for his contribution to the field of ” Collisional
         processes in the Solar System”
– 2014: David Vokrouhlicky, for his contribution to the field of “Non
         gravitational forces in the Solar System”
– 2015: Nicolas Biver, for his contribution to the field of “Dynamics and
         physics of comets”
– 2016: Kleomenis Tsiganis, for his contribution to the field of “Applications
         of celestial mechanics to the natural bodies of our solar system”.

The seventh Paolo Farinella Prize is devoted to planetary sciences and
specifically to studies on the

   “Physics and dynamics of the inner planets of the solar system and their
    satellites”.

The award ceremony will be hosted by the European Planetary Science
Congress (EPSC) meeting in Riga, Latvia (17th to 22nd of September 2017).

The call and the nomination forms can be found at:

http://www.europlanet-eu.org/nominations-for-the-7th-paolo-farinella-prize-now-open/

For the 7 th “Paolo Farinella” Prize the terms and rules are as follows:

1. A competition is announced to award the “Paolo Farinella” Prize for the
    year 2017. The prize consists of a plate, a certificate and the amount of
    1500 ?.  The winner is expected to give a Prize lecture at the EPSC awards
    special session.

2. The winner will be selected on the basis of his/her overall research
    results in the field of “Physics and dynamics of the inner planets of
    the solar system and their satellites”.

3. Nominations must be sent by email not later than May 25th, 2017, to the
    following addresses:

        [email protected] and [email protected]

4. The nominations for the “Paolo Farinella” Prize can be made by any
    researcher that works in the field of planetary sciences following the

    indications in the attached form. Self nominations are cceptable. The

    candidates should have international and interdisciplinary collaborations

    and should be not older than 47 years, the age of Paolo when he passed

    away, at the date of April 30th, 2017.

5. The winner of the prize will be selected before June 15th, 2017 by the
    “Paolo Farinella” Prize Committee composed of outstanding scientists in
    planetary sciences, with specific experience in the field.

6. The Prize Committee will consider all the nominations, but will be entitled
    to autonomously consider other candidates in case the reported candidates do
    not meet criteria 2. and 4.

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

JWST EXPOSURE TIME CALCULATOR (ETC) WEBINAR

FOR SOLAR SYSTEM SCIENCE 

 

ETC Webinar: Thursday, June 15, 12-1 PM EDT (US) 

Webex info: Link: https://tinyurl.com/n662ezq

Meeting number: 640 002 474

Password: JWST2018 

 

The General Observer (GO) Call for Proposals will be released on November 30, 2017,

with a submission due date of March 2, 2018. Get ahead of the game by joining

STScI’s John Stansberry and Bryan Holler for a hands-on demonstration of the

ETC in the context of Solar System observations. This webinar will also feature

an overview of Pandeia, the downloadable ETC engine written in Python, and a

request for community input on Pandeia tools and capabilities that would be useful

for planning observations. 

 

Attendance information and a recording of the webinar will also be available on

the JWST events page at: jwst.stsci.edu/news-events/events. 

 

Other useful links:  JWST ETC web-interface: jwst.etc.stsci.edu 

(Note that you must create a MyST log-in to save your workbooks in the ETC.) 

 

Pandeia download page: ssb.stsci.edu/pandeia/engine/1.0/ 

 

JWST Documentation (JDOX) for Solar System targets will begin to be

published on May 19 at: jwst-docs.stsci.edu

 

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AAS LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS DIVISION (LAD) 2017 ELECTIONS OPEN

Dear Colleagues, 

 

Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD) Electrons are “OPEN”.

Please participate and elect one each of the candidates. If you are not yet a full

member of LAD (one of the Divisions of American Astronomical Society) ,

please do consider becoming a member and vote. It is important for Planetary

Sciences and Astrophysics to have a strong LAD. If you think laboratory data are

important, if you think future space instrumentation is important, you need to

support LAD. 

 

To Vote (LAD): https://aas.org/vote 

To Join LAD: https://lad.aas.org/ 

 

Regards, Murthy Gudipati

 

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LLOYD V. BERKNER SPACE POLICY INTERNSHIPS AUTUMN 2017 

 

The goal of the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internship is to provide

promising undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to

work in the area of civil space research policy in the nation’s capital,

under the aegis of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,

and Medicine’s Space Science Board. 

 

The autumn program is open to undergraduate and graduate students. 

The deadline for applications is 2 June.  Candidate(s) selected will be

contacted no later than 7 July. 

 

Additional information about the program, including the application

procedure, can be found at

http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_052239.

 

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SUMMER SCHOOL IN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS FOR ASTRONOMY

 

Registration is now open for the 4th offering of Software Systems for Astronomy.  

The course covers software design and implementation of telescope and instrument

control systems, observation planning tools, and software for analyzing and

archiving astronomical data. SSfA-4 will be offered as a two week intensive

course this summer, 24-Jul to 04-Aug, 2017, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

To register, visit the following web page and follow the instructions

(UHH students skip steps 1-4):

 

http://astro.uhh.hawaii.edu/Summer/Summer-2017/summer2017.php#Special_Summer_Note

 

The course number is ASTR394.  For more information visit:

 

http://astro.uhh.hawaii.edu/Summer/Summer-2017/summer2017.php

 

or send email to [email protected]

 

8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8

NASA SMD SEEKS PROPOSAL REVIEWERS

 

SMD is seeking subject matter experts to serve as mail-in and panel reviewers

for the following programs:

 

Fire Impacts on Regional Emissions and Chemistry (ROSES-2017 A.23)

AVIRIS-NG Flights in India (ROSES-2016 A.31)

Emerging Worlds (ROSES-2017 C.2)

Solar System Observations (ROSES-2017 C.6)

Planetary Data Archiving, Restoration, and Tools (ROSES-2017 C.7)

Cassini Data Analysis Program (ROSES-2017 C.10)

The New Frontiers Data Analysis Program (ROSES-2016 C.19)

OSIRIS REx Participating Scientists Program (ROSES-2017 C.22)

Exoplanet Research Program (ROSES-2017 E.3)

ROSES-2017 Heliophysics Programs

 

Either click on the titles above or start at this permanent link

https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels

where the volunteer reviewer forms are always posted.

 

9———9———9———9———9———9———9———9———9———9

SOFIA CYCLE 6 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

 

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is pleased

to announce the release of its Cycle 6 Call for Proposals (CfP) on May 1, 2017.  

 

The Call solicits proposals from the U.S., and international, astronomical 

community for approximately 500 hours of SOFIA observations, and is issued

on behalf of NASA by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA).  

The proposal deadline is June 30, 2017, and the Cycle 6 observing period will

be from February 2, 2018 to February 1, 2019.  NASA expects approximately

$5M to be available for support of U.S. affiliated investigators.

 

Instruments offered for Cycle 6 observations are: (1) the EXES mid-IR 

high-resolution spectrometer, (2) the FIFI-LS far-IR imaging spectrometer,

(3) the FORCAST mid-IR camera, including its grism spectrometer (4) the

FPI+ camera in science mode (5) the GREAT heterodyne spectrometer, and

(6) The HAWC+ far-IR imager and polarimeter.  New in Cycle 6 is the

availability of the GREAT dual-array mode LFA/HFA, as well as two of

the bands in the new lower-frequency 4GREAT receiver.

 

Starting with the Cycle 6 Call for Proposals the proposal category “Thesis 

Enabling Programs” is introduced, specifically aimed at supporting graduate 

student research.

 

For further details, please see:

https://www.sofia.usra.edu/science/proposing-and-observing/proposal-calls/cycle-6

 

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SBAG ANNOUNCEMENT: PSP WHITE PAPER NOW AVAILABLE

 

This is a community announcement that the Participating Scientist White

Paper (entitled: The Value of Participating Scientist Programs to NASA’s

Planetary Science Division, by L. Prockter et al.) has been posted to the

SBAG website under the “Documents” page. To access the document,

please follow this link: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/documents/

 

Thanks,

Angela Stickle

SBAG Early-career secretary

 

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

Newsletter 17-19

Issue 17-19, April 30, 2017

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

  1. DPS ELECTIONS 2017: CANDIDATE SLATE
  2. NASA FRONTIER DEVELOPMENT LAB 2017 CALL FOR APPLICANTS
  3. EPSC 2017 SESSIONS ON OUTER PLANET SYSTEMS
  4. EPSC 2017 SESSION ON PLANETARY AEROSOLS AND CLOUDS
  5. EPSC 2017 SESSION ON CERES AND VESTA

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

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DPS ELECTIONS 2017: CANDIDATE SLATE

 

The DPS Nominating Subcommittee has identified the following candidates

for the 2017 DPS elections for Vice Chair and Committee :

 

Vice-Chair (1 to be elected):

o Reggie Hudson, Goddard Space Flight Center

o Linda Spilker, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech

 

Committee (2 to be elected):

o Michele Bannister, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

o David Morrison, NASA Ames

o Migo Mueller, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

o Padma Yanamandra-Fisher, Space Science Institute

 

Additional candidates, supported by a petition of at least 20 DPS members,

may be nominated by May 24th. Please send any nominations to the

DPS Secretary, Anne Verbiscer, at [email protected].

 

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NASA FRONTIER DEVELOPMENT LAB 2017 CALL FOR APPLICANTS

 

NASA Frontier Development Lab (FDL) is looking for masters, doctorate or 

post-doc researchers with an understanding or interest in one of this year’s 

problem areas:  

 

Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Object 3D shape modeling or Comet detection

Space Weather: Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) or Solar-Terrestrial Interactions 

Space Resources: Lunar Water or Asteroid Prospecting 

Hosted by the SETI Institute and NASA Ames in Mountain View and supported 

by leaders in AI from the private sector, such as IBM, Nvidia, and Autodesk, 

FDL brings together teams of experts in the physical sciences and specialists in 

data science and machine learning for an intense 8-week concentrated study on 

topics important to NASA – and to humanity’s future. 

 

The format encourages rapid iteration and prototyping to create outputs with 

meaningful application, papers and conference posters. 

 

All participants are paid and provided accommodation and transport in Silicon Valley. 

The 2017 8-week program is still accepting qualified participants and will run 

June 26 – August 18, 2017. 

 

Applications will be accepted until the closing date of the 19th of May,

although we encourage you to apply sooner to ensure a place. 

To learn more about FDL and submit your application, please visit the FDL website at

 frontierdevelopmentlab.org

 

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EPSC 2017 SESSIONS ON OUTER PLANET SYSTEMS

 

Dear colleagues,

We encourage you to submit an abstract at the European Planetary Science 

Congress 2017 to be held in Riga, Latvia, on 17–22 September 2017.

 

See : http://www.epsc2017.eu/home.html

Please note that the abstract deadline is fast approaching: May 3, 2017.

 

Please see: http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2017/sessionprogramme

The Outer Planet Systems Theme offers several sessions this year, as follows:

 

OPS1
Outer planets systems and Pluto
Convener: A. Coustenis  | Co-conveners: S. K. Atreya , G. S. Orton , 

L.N. Fletcher , O. Witasse , N. Altobelli          

OPS2
Ocean worlds and Icy Moons
Convener: E. Turtle  | Co-conveners: O. Grasset , J.-P. Lebreton , 

A. Coustenis , F. Tosi          

 

OPS3
Juno at Jupiter and Supporting Earth-Based Observations
Convener: A. Mura  | Co-conveners: S. Bolton , J. Connerney , A. Adriani , 

T. Guillot , G. S. Orton          

 

OPS4/TP8.2
Aerosols and clouds in planetary atmospheres (co-organized)
Convener: N. Carrasco  | Co-conveners: A. Määttänen , P. Lavvas          

 

TP5/OPS5/SB14
Planetary Geomorphology (co-organized)
Convener: S. Adeli  | Co-conveners: A. Johnsson , E. Hauber          

Please consider submitting an abstract and informing your colleagues, 

 

We hope to see you in Riga !

With best regards,
For the conveners

Athena Coustenis

 

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EPSC SESSION ON PLANETARY AEROSOLS 

 

Dear Colleagues, 

The abstract submission for the European Planetary Science Congress 2017 

organized in Riga, Latvia, on 17–22 September 2017, is open and the deadline is May 3! 

We invite you to submit abstracts to our (co-organized) session OPS4/TP8.2 

“Aerosols and clouds in planetary atmospheres”! 

http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2017/session/26063 

Atmospheric aerosols and cloud particles are found in every atmosphere of the 

solar system, as well as, in exoplanets. Depending on their size, shape, chemical 

composition, latent heat, and distribution, their effect on the radiation budget 

varies drastically and is difficult to predict. When organic, aerosols also carry a 

strong prebiotic interest reinforced by the presence of heavy atoms such as 

nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur. 

The aim of the session is to gather presentations on these complex objects for 

both terrestrial and giant planet atmospheres, including the special case of 

Titan’s hazy atmosphere. All research aspects from their production and 

evolution processes, their observation/detection, to their fate and atmospheric 

impact are welcomed, including laboratory investigations and modeling. 

The ambition of the session is a review effort beginning in our solar system, 

and which would be valuable to further investigate atmospheric aerosols in 

exoplanetary systems. 

Spread the word, and see you in Riga! 

With best regards, 
The conveners 

Nathalie Carrasco, Panayotis Lavvas, Anni Määttänen

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

EPSC 2017 SESSION ON CERES AND VESTA

 

Dear colleagues,

 

this is a reminder for the upcoming abstract submission deadline of the next 

EPSC conference (http://www.epsc2017.eu) that will be held in Riga on 

17-22 September 2017.

 

The “Abstract submission deadline” is  May 3, 2017, 13:00 CEST.

 

We would like to invite you to submit an abstract to the Session: 

SB5 – “Ceres and Vesta – 10th anniversary of Dawn Special Session”. 

 

Session summary: September 2017 marks 10 years since the launch of NASA’s 

Dawn mission. Dawn has been the first mission to orbit two different targets in 

the main asteroid belt: the largest asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. 

Dawn’s overall results represent a huge leap in our understanding of these bodies.

In this session we welcome contributions that cover: 1) latest results obtained from 

the Dawn mission on both Ceres and Vesta, concerning geology, mineralogy, 

surface composition and/or geophysics, 2) comparative analysis of Vesta and 

Ceres in terms of surface processes, internal structure, thermal evolution and 

origins. The goal of this session is to highlight the major achievements of the 

Dawn mission, and to illustrate recent discoveries and ongoing work on Vesta 

and Ceres through direct analysis of Dawn data, study of analogs and/or 

theoretical models.

 

To submit you may use the following link:

https://administrator.copernicus.org/authentication.php

 

Looking forward to see you in Riga,

 

the conveners

 

Katrin Stephan

Michael Toplis

Francesca Zambon

———————————+

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

 

Newsletter 17-18

Issue 17-18, April 23, 2017

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

  1. DPS ELECTIONS 2017: CANDIDATE SLATE
  2. SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) 17 MEETING: ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR EARLY CAREER TRAVEL SUPPORT
  3. SUMMER SCHOOL IN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS FOR ASTRONOMY
  4. ROADMAPS TO OCEAN WORLDS (ROW) TOWNHALL AT ABSCICON
  5. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

DPS ELECTIONS 2017: CANDIDATE SLATE

 

The DPS Nominating Subcommittee has identified the following candidates

for the 2017 DPS elections for Vice Chair and Committee :

 

Vice-Chair (1 to be elected):

o Reggie Hudson, Goddard Space Flight Center

o Linda Spilker, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech

 

Committee (2 to be elected):

o Michele Bannister, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

o David Morrison, NASA Ames

o Migo Mueller, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

o Padma Yanamandra-Fisher, Space Science Institute

 

Additional candidates, supported by a petition of at least 20 DPS members,

may be nominated by May 24th. Please send any nominations to the

DPS Secretary, Anne Verbiscer, at [email protected].

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) 17 MEETING:

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR EARLY CAREER TRAVEL SUPPORT

 

As a reminder, the next SBAG meeting will be June 12-14 at NASA Goddard 

Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Note that we will be starting at 1 pm on 

June 12 and ending at noon on June 14.

 

We are very excited for early-career scientists and engineers to participate in 

SBAG meetings. We have two opportunities at the upcoming SBAG meeting 

in June specifically aimed to people early in their career:

 

We are now accepting applications for early-career travel support to attend the 

upcoming SBAG meeting. Please pass the information on to any students, 

post-docs or early career scientists/engineers that may be interested in attending 

the meeting.
 

Early career travel support: We are planning to offer limited U.S. travel support 

for early career scientists to participate in the SBAG 17 meeting, to be held at the 

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD on June 12-14, 2017.  

Interested undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, and other early 

career scientists (within 3 years of PhD/MS/BS) should submit a letter and a CV to 

SBAG Early Career Secretary Angela Stickle ([email protected]) by COB 

(5 pm Eastern time) May 5, 2017. Included in the letter, which must not exceed 2 

pages, should be a demonstration of financial need and an explanation of how the 

applicant’s work relates to the purposes of the SBAG. The letter and CV should be 

combined into a single PDF document for submission by e-mail attachment.  

Recipients of travel support will be expected to give a short presentation (~10-15 

minutes) of their SBAG-relevant work at the SBAG 17 meeting.

 

Lightning Talks: We are providing time on the agenda for early-career scientists 

and engineers present at the meeting to introduce themselves and their research to 

the community. The talks will be 3 minutes each. If you are interested in giving a 

lightning talk, please contact the early-career secretary Angela Stickle 

([email protected]). Please encourage students and postdocs that you 

know to participate!

 

Thanks

Angela Stickle

SBAG Early-career Secretary

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

SUMMER SCHOOL IN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS FOR ASTRONOMY

 

Registration is now open for the 4th offering of Software Systems for Astronomy.

The course covers software design and implementation of telescope and instrument 

control systems, observation planning tools, and software for analyzing and 

archiving astronomical data. SSfA-4 will be offered as a two week intensive 

course this summer, 24-Jul to 04-Aug, 2017, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

To register, visit the following web page and follow the instructions (UHH 

students skip steps 1-4):

 

  http://astro.uhh.hawaii.edu/Summer/Summer-2017/summer2017.php#Special_Summer_Note

 

The course number is ASTR394.  For more information visit:

 

  http://astro.uhh.hawaii.edu/Summer/Summer-2017/summer2017.php

 

or send email to [email protected]

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

ROADMAPS TO OCEAN WORLDS (ROW) TOWNHALL AT ABSCICON

 

The Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds (ROW) team was chartered by OPAG to 

identify science objectives for Ocean Worlds and to design a roadmap (or 

roadmaps) to explore these worlds to address the identified science objectives. 

We will be holding a ROW townhall at AbSciCon (Monday, April 24, 12:15-1:15PM) 

to share our progress and allow for astrobiology community input.

We hope to see you there!

Amanda Hendrix ([email protected])
Terry Hurford ([email protected])

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN PLANET FORMATION AT SWRI BOULDER

 

There is an open postdoctoral research position open at Southwest 
Research Institute’s office in Boulder Colorado to work with Hal 
Levison and Kevin Walsh on a variety of topics related to Planet 
Formation. More details and application information can be found at:

https://resapp.swri.org/ResApp/Job_Search_Results.aspx?DETAIL=15-01225

and

https://resapp.swri.org/ResApp/Job_Search_Results.aspx?DETAIL=15-01226 

Contact:

Kevin Walsh: [email protected]

 

B) PH.D. OPPORTUNITY IN MARTIAN GEOCHEMISTRY

Wesleyan University has funding for a student to complete a Ph.D. in 
the Department of Chemistry with a Concentration in Planetary Science.
The program of study will be tailored to include a relevant geoscience 
curriculum. The proposed project is to create a series of Mars 
analogue brines and precipitate them under terrestrial and martian 
conditions in a Mars chamber. Visible – near-infrared spectra of the 
precipitates will then be compared to similar data collected in Mars 
orbit. The research will be under the tutelage of Prof. Gilmore in the 
Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The opening is available for 
Fall of 2017. Please apply to the Chemistry Department at: 

http://www.wesleyan.edu/grad/  

Applications will be reviewed as they are received. More information 
about Planetary Sciences at Wesleyan may be found at:

http://www.wesleyan.edu/planetary/  

Please direct all inquiries to: 

Prof. Martha Gilmore  
[email protected]

 

———————————+

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

 

Newsletter 17-17

Issue 17-17, April 20, 2017

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

  1. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: THE MARCH FOR SCIENCE SATURDAY APRIL 22, 2017
  2. MESSAGE FROM THE DPS FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
  3. COMMUNITY NOTICE: NEW PDS NODE URLS
  4. ROADMAPS TO OCEAN WORLDS (ROW) TOWNHALL AT ABSCICON
  5. LUNAR AND SMALL BODIES GRADUATE CONFERENCE 2017-ANNOUNCEMENT AND ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE JUNE 2
  6. UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: THE MARCH FOR SCIENCE 

SATURDAY APRIL 22, 2017

 

I’m marching for science on Saturday April 22, 2017 in Washington, DC, to 

ensure that knowledge derived from scientific investigation is included in 

policy deliberations. I invite you to join me by meeting at AAS offices 

before the march https://aas.org/marchforscience.  Can’t make it to DC? 

Explore satellite marches across the US and world wide 

https://www.marchforscience.com/satellite-marches/

 

Consider participating in the AAS’s social media campaign by writing one 

or two sentences about why science is important to you and include a picture.

https://aas.org/content/aasmarches-social-media-campaign. 

 

Hope to see you at the march!

 

Lucy McFadden

DPS Chair

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

MESSAGE FROM THE DPS FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE

 

On 6-7 April 2017, our AAS/DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee (FRS) visited 

Capitol Hill to advocate for planetary science and to educate congressional 

representatives and staffers about our organization. The FRS conducts one or 

more such visits each year in consultation and coordination with AAS Public 

Policy and the Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy.

 

These visits are typically most effective in the spring when budget priorities

are being established between the executive and legislative branches — although 

this transition year is atypical; refer to 

https://aas.org/policy-resources/information-about-relevant-policies-115th-congress.

This year our DPS subcommittee met with 7 key offices in various states, including 

California, Maryland, Texas, Colorado, and Georgia.

 

During these visits we offered our thanks to the Congressman either directly 

or through the staff member we me with for their interest and support of space 

sciences. We expressed excitement about the President’s proposed fiscal year 

(FY) 2018 budget of $1.93 billion for NASA’s Planetary Science division, 

while also communicating concern about maintaining a balance across all 

disciplines at NASA — to be specific, across the Planetary Science, Earth 

Science, Heliophysics, and Astrophysics divisions — in order to achieve the 

goals prioritized in the Decadal Surveys.

 

Many staffers were interested to learn about the total solar eclipse on August 21. 

We pointed them to the AAS Eclipse website (https://eclipse.aas.org) and 

encouraged them to participate in local events in their home districts. 

Find more information about FRS activities at public_policy.

 

Kurt Retherford, AAS/DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee Chair

Heather Bloemhard, AAS Bahcall Fellow

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

COMMUNITY NOTICE: NEW PDS NODE URLS

 

Due to evolving government cybersecurity requirements, the Internet addresses 

(URLs) of five Discipline Nodes of the Planetary Data System (PDS) have changed. 

The new URLs are:

 

Node:                                                    URL is now:

Atmospheres                                         http://pds-atmospheres.nmsu.edu

Geosciences                                          http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu

Planetary Plasma Interactions              http://pds-ppi.igpp.ucla.edu

Ring-Moon Systems                             http://pds-rings.seti.org

Small Bodies                                        https://pds-smallbodies.astro.umd.edu

 

The URLs for the Engineering and Management Nodes, and the Navigation and 

Ancillary Information Facility have not changed.

 

The PDS apologizes for any disruptions that these changes cause.

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

ROADMAPS TO OCEAN WORLDS (ROW) TOWNHALL AT ABSCICON

 

The Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds (ROW) team was chartered by OPAG to 

identify science objectives for Ocean Worlds and to design a roadmap (or 

roadmaps) to explore these worlds to address the identified science objectives. 

We will be holding a ROW townhall at AbSciCon (Monday, April 24, 12:15-1:15PM) 

to share our progress and allow for astrobiology community input. 

We hope to see you there!

Amanda Hendrix ([email protected])
Terry Hurford ([email protected])

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

LUNAR AND SMALL BODIES GRADUATE CONFERENCE 2017- 

ANNOUNCEMENT AND ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE JUNE 2

 

Registration is now open for the 8th Annual Lunar and Small Bodies Graduate 

Conference (LunGradCon 2017) to be held on Monday, July 17, 2016 at the 

NASA Ames Research Center, preceding the NASA Exploration Science 

Forum (ESF, July 18-20). With the expanded interests of the Solar System 

Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), the scope of this year’s 

LunGradCon includes both lunar and small body science. LunGradCon 

provides an opportunity for grad students and early-career postdocs to present 

their research on lunar and small body science in a low-stress, friendly 

environment, being critiqued only by their peers. In addition to oral 

presentations, the conference presents opportunities for professional 

development and networking with fellow grad students and postdocs, 

as well as senior members of SSERVI. A limited amount of funding 

will be provided for travel and lodging costs. The deadline for registration 

and abstract submission is June 2rd 2016, 11:59 PM PDT.

 

For more details, please visit:

http://impact.colorado.edu/lungradcon/2017/

or email any questions to: [email protected]

 

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

 

A) 12TH LOW-COST PLANETARY MISSIONS CONFERENCE

      Pasadena, California

      15-17 August 2017

 

The focus of LCPM-12 is on small and/or low-cost planetary missions, on

the scale of the NASA Discovery/ESA Cosmic Vision Small (S) Class and

smaller, including Smallsats and CubeSats. The conference is intended

to be an opportunity for scientists, technologists, engineers and

project and agency managers to exchange ideas and information to

enhance the viability and science return of low-cost robotic missions.

 

Abstract Submission and Conference Registration is now open.  Abstracts

are due May 26th, and early registration closes June 9th.

 

Sessions will cover a range of topics, including agency programs and plans

for future missions, the latest science results from ongoing missions, missions

and instruments under development, and advanced concepts for the next

generation of low-cost missions.

 

For further information about registration, abstract submission and

conference logistics, visit:

 

www.lcpm12.org

 

Michael Mischna, Chair SOC, on behalf of the Science Organizing

Committee

                                                                                                                                       

B) JWST EVENTS AT THE SUMMER AAS MEETING

 

Dear Colleagues,
 

I wanted to let you know of a few events at the Summer AAS meeting in 

Austin this year including a JWST Meeting-in-a-Meeting and a proposal 

workshop.

https://jwst.stsci.edu/news-events/events/events-area/stsci-events-listing-container/american-astronomical-society-230th-meeting?mwc=4

 

Also note the JWST Proposal Planning Workshop is scheduled for Sunday, 

June 4th.  This workshop will include hands-on training with:

  • JWST Astronomer’s Proposal Tool 
  • JWST Exposure Time Calculator 
  • JWST Target Visibility Tool 
  • JWST Multi-Object Spectrograph Planning Tool

Individuals may register for the JWST Proposal Planning Workshop until May 11th.  

We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely, 
Stefanie Milam
(on behalf of the SOC)

 

———————————+

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

 

Message From The Chair: The March For Science Saturday April 22, 2017

I’m marching for science on Saturday April 22, 2017 in Washington, DC, to ensure that knowledge derived from scientific investigation is included in policy deliberations. I invite you to join me by meeting at AAS offices before the march. Can’t make it to DC? Explore satellite marches across the US and world wide.

Consider participating in the AAS’s social media campaign by writing one or two sentences about why science is important to you and include a picture. 

Hope to see you at the march!

Lucy McFadden
DPS Chair

Message From The DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee

On 6-7 April 2017, our AAS/DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee (FRS) visited Capitol Hill to advocate for planetary science and to educate congressional representatives and staffers about our organization. The FRS conducts one or more such visits each year in consultation and coordination with AAS Public Policy and the Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy.

These visits are typically most effective in the spring when budget priorities are being established between the executive and legislative branches — although this transition year is atypical. This year our DPS subcommittee met with 7 key offices in various states, including California, Maryland, Texas, Colorado, and Georgia.

During these visits we offered our thanks to the Congressman either directly or through the staff member we me with for their interest and support of space sciences. We expressed excitement about the President’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget of $1.93 billion for NASA’s Planetary Science division, while also communicating concern about maintaining a balance across all disciplines at NASA — to be specific, across the Planetary Science, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Astrophysics divisions — in order to achieve the goals prioritized in the Decadal Surveys.

Many staffers were interested to learn about the total solar eclipse on August 21. We pointed them to the AAS Eclipse website and encouraged them to participate in local events in their home districts. Find more information about FRS activities.

Kurt Retherford, AAS/DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee Chair
Heather Bloemhard, AAS Bahcall Fellow

Newsletter 17-16

Issue 17-16, April 11, 2017

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

  1. VOLUNTEER AS A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT
  2. NASA FRONTIER DEVELOPMENT LAB (FDL) APPLICATIONS OPEN
  3. ROSES-17 AMENDMENT 5: C.22 OREX-PSP FINAL TEXT
  4. NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION SEEKS REVIEWERS FOR SOLAR SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS (SSO) PROPOSALS
  5. SALMON-3 MMX NGRS PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
  6. TAKE THE PLANETARY MAP SURVEY (MAPSIT)
  7. VEXAG MEETING #15 NOVEMBER 14-16, 2017
  8. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES
  9. UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

VOLUNTEER AS A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

 

Join NASA’s efforts to engage the public about the August 21, 2017 total solar 

eclipse by volunteering as a Subject Matter Expert!

 

NASA welcomes scientists, engineers, science writers, amateur astronomers, 

and science educators to identify themselves as subject matter experts, or SMEs, 

available and interested in supporting programs around the nation on August 21. 

By volunteering, groups seeking an expert speaker can reach out to you to join 

their event.   

 

To be considered as a SME, you will need to have a minimum understanding of 

selected eclipse content. Before filling out the application form 

(https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/subject-matter-expert) you must download and 

review eclipse training documents. In addition, you must meet the following 

requirements:

• Be at least 21 years of age.

• Have a basic working knowledge of astronomy especially eclipses and the 

  sun-Earth-Moon system.

• Be available to support a solar eclipse event somewhere in the country as a 

  speaker/eclipse educator.

 

For more information, access to eclipse training documents, and to apply, visit:

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/subject-matter-expert

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

NASA FRONTIER DEVELOPMENT LAB (FDL) APPLICATIONS OPEN

 

NASA Frontier Development Lab (FDL) has announced its 2017 challenges

and opened the application process for participants, with a deadline of

April 19, 2017. FDL is looking for 12 planetary scientists and 12

computer scientists with machine-learning emphasis. Applicants must

have a masters, doctorate or post-doc level of understanding in this

year’s problem areas (Heliophysics, Astronomy, Exogeology, Data

Science, Software Engineering or Advanced Statistics). The challenge

questions for 2017 cover planetary defense, space weather and space

resources.

 

Hosted by the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA, FDL is an applied

research accelerator established to tackle knowledge gaps in space

science by bringing together machine learning expertise and physical

science specialists at the PhD level. Interdisciplinary teams address

tightly defined problems and the format encourages rapid iteration and

prototyping to create outputs with meaningful application. The 2017

8-week program will accept 24 participants and will run June 26 –

August 18, 2017.

 

To learn more about FDL, the 2017 challenge questions, and to apply,

please visit the FDL website at:

 

http://www.frontierdevelopmentlab.org

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

ROSES-17 AMENDMENT 5: C.22 OREX-PSP FINAL TEXT

 

OSIRIS-REx launched September 8, 2016, with the primary objective of

traveling to the near-Earth (Apollo type, spectral class B) asteroid

101955 Bennu, obtaining a sample containing at least 60 g of regolith

material, and delivering this sample back to Earth. Once the spacecraft

reaches Bennu, a wide range of observations and measurements will be

made to characterize and map the asteroid, identify and characterize in

detail sites where samples might be collected, and finally to collect a

sample from the optimal site and stow it for delivery to Earth.

 

The objective of the OSIRIS-REx Participating Scientist Program

(OREx-PSP) is to enhance the scientific return during the

asteroid-operational phase of the OSIRIS-REx mission by expanding

participation in the mission through new investigations that broaden

and/or complement existing investigations.

 

Step-1 proposals are due May 4, 2017, and Step-2 proposals are due July

11, 2017. Questions and comments on this draft program element should

be directed to Jeffrey Grossman and or Christina Richey at

[email protected].

 

This Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement ROSES 2017 

will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at:

 

http://nspires.nasaprs.com/

 

and will appear on the RSS feed at:

 

https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2017/

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION SEEKS REVIEWERS FOR 

SOLAR SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS (SSO) PROPOSALS

 

The planetary science division is seeking subject matter experts to serve as mail-in 

and/or panel meeting reviewers of proposals submitted to the ROSES-17 Solar System 

Observations program element. 

 

To volunteer please go to:

https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/2017-solar-system-observations

 

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

SALMON-3 MMX NGRS PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

 

The Planetary Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate

released, on March 21, 2017, a Program Element Appendix (PEA) to the

Third Stand-Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3), soliciting

proposals for the development of, and science investigations using, a

Neutron and Gamma-Ray Spectrometer for the Japan Aerospace Exploration

Agency (JAXA) Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission. The Pre-Proposal

Conference for this PEA will be held, via Webex, on Monday, April 17,

2017, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT. Details on attending this conference

will be posted on the acquisition homepage for the MMX PEA:

 

http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/mmx/

 

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

TAKE THE PLANETARY MAP SURVEY (MAPSIT)

 

Please take a few minutes to fill out this short anonymous survey about

planetary map creation and use. This request takes <5 minutes and

covers all types of mapping efforts focused on non-terrestrial bodies. 

 

http://bit.ly/map_input

 

Poll results will help inform how planetary geoscience mapping efforts

can be improved. Results and paths forward will be posted on the MAPSIT

webpage by end of summer:

 

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/mapsit

 

Please forward the above link as needed to interested community

members. Thank you in advance for your time.

 

MAPSIT Steering Committee

 

7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7

VEXAG MEETING #15, NOVEMBER 14-16, 2017

 

Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) Meeting #15 will be held on

Tuesday-Thursday, November 14-16, 2017, at the Applied Physics

Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland.

 

Current plans are:

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 – NASA and Mission Reports

Wednesday, November 15, 2017 – Venus Science and Technology Reports

Thursday, November 16, 2017 – VEXAG Activities (adjourn at mid-day)

 

If you’ll be attending in person and haven’t done so already, please

enter your name on the Meeting Registration/Intent to Attend Form on

the VEXAG Web-Site:

 

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meeting_portal/registration/?mtg=vexag2017

 

on or before October 29. Look for a one-page abstract call in the summer.

 

8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) TWO POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS AT NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY

 

The Edwards research group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy

at Northern Arizona University seeks two postdoctoral scholars. This

group works on characterizing the surfaces of rocky planets and

instrument development. The successful candidate will carry out

independent research related to the job, is expected to publish

scientific papers and, may submit proposals for external funding.

 

Minimum Qualifications:

A PhD in geoscience/remote sensing/planetary science or a related field

 

Preferred Qualifications (Job 603079):

* Experience with thermal infrared/visible-near infrared/visible remote

sensing data of planetary surfaces, especially the Moon or Mars

* Experience with planetary science software packages (e.g. ISIS, IDL,

Python, etc.)

* Strong background in scientific programming

* Experience with GIS, thermal modeling and/or spectral modeling of

planetary surfaces

 

Preferred Qualifications (Job 603080):

* Strong working knowledge of laboratory spectroscopic methods

* Experience using laboratory/field instruments to address outstanding

problems in geoscience/planetary science

* Optical instrument development experience

* Solid modeling and thermal modeling experience

 

Applications must include a curriculum vitae, cover letter, statement

of research interests and contact information for three professional

references.

 

Application deadline: April 20, 2017 11:59PM MST

 

For questions, please contact: [email protected]

 

https://hr.peoplesoft.nau.edu/psp/ph92prta/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=603079&PostingSeq=1

 

https://hr.peoplesoft.nau.edu/psp/ph92prta/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=603080&PostingSeq=1

 

8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

 

A) AIDA THIRD INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

     Johns Hopkins Applied Laboratory, Laurel, MD

     June 20-22, 2017

 

The 3rd AIDA International Workshop will be held June 20-22, 2017 at the 

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) in Laurel, Maryland. 

The AIDA project is a technology demonstration of asteroid deflection by a 

kinetic impactor. It is an international cooperation composed of two missions, 

the NASA DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test), which is the kinetic 

impactor, and the ESA AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission). The combination of 

DART and AIM is AIDA. The first AIDA international workshop took place 

in October, 2014, and the second AIDA workshop was held in June, 2016.

 

The 3rd AIDA International Workshop will discuss planetary defense and 

science topics:

 

Predictions of momentum transfer by kinetic impactor; determinations of 

momentum transfer from Earth-based remote sensing and from in situ 

observations at the target [65803] Didymos; kinetic impact simulations; 

Didymos physical properties and dynamical system, with changes induced 

by kinetic impact; impact ejecta dynamical fates and evolution; science 

proximity observations at Didymos.

 

For additional information see http://dart.jhuapl.edu/aida-workshop2017/

 

B) ENABLING EXOPLANET OBSERVATIONS WITH JWST

     STScI, Baltimore, MD

     10-12 July 2017

 

This workshop will provide a forum for the exoplanet community to learn 

about and discuss planning JWST observations to characterize transiting 

exoplanets.  Talks will inform potential users about science opportunities 

and tools for observation planning.  Data challenges will introduce the 

community to planned data products and identify key tools and resources 

for further data reduction and interpretation.  With a Cycle 1 proposal 

deadline in early 2018, this workshop will serve as an important opportunity 

for the transiting exoplanet community to begin building high-quality 

JWST observing programs.

 

Registration is now open.  The registration fee is $165.00 to attend the 

workshop.  For more information regarding this workshop, please visit

http://www.cvent.com/d/n5q7nc.

 

C) EPSC CONFERENCE

     Riga, Latvia

     17-22 September 2017

 

Dear colleagues,

 

this is a reminder for the upcoming abstract submission deadline of the next 

EPSC conference (http://www.epsc2017.eu) that will be held in Riga on 

17-22 September 2017.

 

The “Abstract submission deadline” is  May 3, 2017, 13:00 CEST.

 

We would like to invite you to submit an abstract to the Session: 

SB5 – “Ceres and Vesta – 10th anniversary of Dawn Special Session”. 

 

Session summary: September 2017 marks 10 years since the launch of 

NASA’s Dawn mission. Dawn has been the first mission to orbit two different 

targets in the main asteroid belt: the largest asteroid Vesta and the dwarf 

planet Ceres. Dawn’s overall results represent a huge leap in our understanding 

of these bodies.

In this session we welcome contributions that cover: 1) latest results obtained 

from the Dawn mission on both Ceres and Vesta, concerning geology,

mineralogy, surface composition and/or geophysics, 2) comparative 

analysis of Vesta and Ceres in terms of surface processes, internal structure, 

thermal evolution and origins.

The goal of this session is to highlight the major achievements of the Dawn 

mission, and to illustrate recent discoveries and ongoing work on Vesta and 

Ceres through direct analysis of Dawn data, study of analogs and/or theoretical 

models.

 

To submit you may use the following link:

https://administrator.copernicus.org/authentication.php

 

Looking forward to see you in Riga,

 

the conveners

 

Katrin Stephan

Michael Toplis

Francesca Zambon

 

D) FORMATION OF COMPLEX MOLECULES IN SPACE AND ON PLANETS, 

     FROM INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS TO LIFE

     Tartu, Estonia 

     17 – 22 July 2017

 

The summer school course aims to cover the biochemical evolution in the

universe from formation of the first molecules in interstellar clouds

to the assembly of the first cells on Earth. The course consists of

lectures, student-led discussions and  poster sessions. The  following

subjects are included:

– Formation of the elements in space

– Chemical processes in dark clouds, star-forming regions and

protoplanetary disks

– Atmospheric processes in rocky, gaseous planets and their satelites

– Emergence of Homochirality

– Formation of complx molecules in hydrothermal systems

– From carbon molecules to biogenic activity

– Assembly of first cells

 

Participants will also have the possibility to display their own

research results in a poster session. Furthermore, a half-day excursion

to interesting sites in the area (Ice Age Museum, Lake Peipus) and a

walk in Tartu are included as a social programme.

 

The event is aimed for students an early career scientists and open to

applicants from all nationalities. Detailed information about the

summer school and the application procedure (deadline 31 May 2017) can

be found at the website:

 

http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Tartu2017

 

E) THE EARLY HISTORY OF PLANETARY SYSTEMS AND HABITABLE PLANETS

     Conference for Early Career Astrobiologists 

     Tartu, Estonia 

     8 – 10 August 2017

 

The Astrobiology early career scientists conference “The Early History

of Planetary systems and habitable planets” will be hosted in Tartu,

Estonia. The event will start on the morning of August 8th and finishes

in August 10th in the evening.

 

The main (but by no means exclusive) themes of the conference are: 

– Formation of protoplanetary disks and planetary systems

– Early History of Earth and other planets

– Impacts and their role in the evolution of planets

– Formation and evolution of planet and satellite atmospheres

– Co-evolution of Earth’s geosphere and biosphere and the evolution of

life

– Habitability and factors influencing it

– Life in extreme environments and its possible role in the evolution

of life on Earth

– Habitable extrasolar planets: detection and characterisation

– New aspects of planetary evolution

 

A large number of  bursaries is available for students and early career

scientists (up to 8 years after their Ph.D) covering meals and

accommodation during the entire meeting (evening August 7th, to morning

August 11th). Deadline for registration is 29th June 2017.

 

Information can be found at the website:

 

https://sisu.ut.ee/eac/home-0

 

F) IMPACTS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE EVOLUTION OF LIFE 

    Saaremaa, Estonia 

    25 July – 3 August 2017

 

The summer school course “Impacts and their Role in the Evolution of

Life” will take place from 25 July to 3 August 2017 at Kuressaare and

the Kaali impact crater site on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia. The

course consists of lectures, practical exercises and student-led

discussions. Participants will also have the possibility to display

their own research results in two poster sessions. The following

subjects will be covered:

– Roles of impacts in the formation of habitable planets

– Physical and chemical properties of comets and meteorites

– Detection and investigation of impact craters by geological methods

and remote sensing from space

– Ecological consequences of impacts and the role of impacts in mass

 extinctions 

– Transfer of life through meteorite impacts

– Threat of life on our planet by near-Earth asteroids and comets 

 

Practical exercises include:

– Electromagnetic mapping of impact sites

– Analysis of pollen indicators of the Kaali impact event.

– Microscopy of impactites

– Georadar profiling 

 

Bursaries covering meals and accommodation are available for a number

of students from most European Countries. Application deadline is 30

April 2017. The website:

 

http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Impacts2017

 

G) GEOSCIENCES FOR UNDERSTANDING HABITABILITY IN THE UNIVERSE

     EGU Galileo Conference 

     Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, Furnas, Azores 

     25 – 29 September 2017

 

This conference will address some hotly debated questions in the field

including the following:

– What effects do core and mantle have on evolution and habitability of

planets?

– What is the relation between (plate) tectonics and atmospheric

evolution?

– What role does the mantle overturn play in the evolution of the

interior and atmosphere?

– What is the role of the global carbon and water cycles herein? 

– What influence do comet and asteroid impacts exert on the evolution

of the planet?

– How does life interact with the evolution of Earth’s geosphere and

atmosphere?

– How can we use our knowledge of the solar system geophysics and

habitability for exoplanets?

 

The conference will be held at the Hotel Terra Nostra Garden, Furnas,

Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal. The hotel is a newly renovated Art Deco

hotel witha large, famous botanical garden. The Joao Paulo Airport with

frequent direct flights to the European mainland is located only 45 km

from the venue. The deadline for registration and abstract submission

is 15 June 2017.

 

The website of the event is found at:

 

http://www.egu-galileo.eu/gc2-habitability/

 

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

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