Subject: [DPS Members] DPS Mailing #09-02: DPS Prize reminder, Beyond JWST, IRTF proposals...

Issue 09-02, March 18th 2009

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1) Reminder: DPS Prize Nominations - Deadline 17 April
2) Planetary Input Needed for "Beyond JWST" Conference
3) IRTF Proposals Due April 1st 2009
4) Special Issue of Icarus devoted to the Planet Mercury
5) The International Year of Astronomy 2009: 100 Hours of Astronomy
6) Mario Acuna, 1940-2009
7) Upcoming Meetings
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REMINDER: DPS PRIZE NOMINATIONS - DEADLINE 17 APRIL

All DPS members are reminded and strongly encouraged to engage
actively in submitting nominations for DPS Prizes. The deadline
for 2009 nominations is Friday April 17. Two new items this year:

(i) As a result of the DPS Bylaws change, "other planetary systems
and their members" are included in the scientific fields eligible for
DPS Prize nomination.

(ii) There is a new prize established this year, the Jonathan
Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award, awarded for individual
pieces of writing. Note that the Eberhart award has simpler
nomination procedures than the other prizes- three supporting letters
are not required. See http://dps.aas.org/prizes/ for details.


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PLANETARY INPUT NEEDED FOR "BEYOND JWST" CONFERENCE

STScI is hosting a conference about the future of space telescopes 
entitled
"Beyond JWST: The Next Steps in UV-Optical-NIR Space Astronomy"
(http://www.stsci.edu/institute/conference/beyondjwst) on 26-27 March 
2009.

Heidi Hammel has been asked to summarize "Solar System Exploration with
UVOIR Telescopes." She is soliciting input from our community, and 
needs
to have it by 20th March (ppt is preferred).

Please contact Heidi at [email protected] if you want your science to be
represented at the meeting and, ultimately, on the next UVOIR space 
telescope.


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IRTF PROPOSALS DUE APRIL 1ST

See http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/callForProposals.php

Proposals for observing time on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility
for the August 1 through January 31, 2010 semester are due Wednesday,
April 1, 2009, 5:00 P.M. Hawaii Standard Time. Please use the new
ONLINE submission form.

Facility and visitor instruments include: SpeX (1-5 micron
spectrograph); NSFCAM2 (1-5 micron, 2048 x 2048 HgCdTe array camera);
CSHELL (1-5 micron high-resolution spectrograph); MIRSI (8-26 micron
camera and grism spectrometer; TEXES (5-20 micron high-resolution
spectrograph; BASS (3-14 micron spectrometer; CELESTE (5-25 micron
echelle spectrometer; and HIPWAC (9-12 micron heterodyne spectrometer).


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SPECIAL ISSUE OF ICARUS DEVOTED TO THE PLANET MERCURY

The Editors of Icarus and the MESSENGER Science Team invite
contributions to a special issue devoted to the planet Mercury. The
MESSENGER team will be contributing a set of papers reporting results
from the spacecraft's first two flybys of Mercury in January and
October 2008, as well as on models that account for those
observations. The special issue is also open to other papers
reporting new results on Mercury science. These could be papers
analyzing observations from the Mariner 10 or MESSENGER flybys,
reporting on new models, or presenting appropriate ground-based or
laboratory measurements. The submission deadline for all papers in
the special issue is 31 May 2009.

To assist in planning for the editorial review of papers for the
special issue, contributors from outside the MESSENGER team are asked
to send a brief letter of intent by the end of April to the Icarus
editorial office: [email protected].


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THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY 2009: 100 HOURS OF ASTRONOMY

On April 2nd through the 5th people all over the world
will be sharing in the delight of looking through a telescope.
One of the key goals of the 100 Hours of Astronomy project
is to have as many people as possible experience what
Galileo experienced 400 years ago; the excitement of
seeing the heavens brought close up. Planetary science is
a perfect fit, with the opportunity for the public to see,
as Galileo did, the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn,
and much more. The DPS encourages its members to become
involved in this historic event. Consider joining a
program already ongoing in your area, calling a local
astronomy club, or getting your own telescope out to share
with friends and family.

Go to http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/ to find events
in your area, or to add your own!


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MARIO ACUNA, 1940-2009

We regret to announce the passing of Mario Acuna, of the Planetary
Magnetospheres Laboratory at Goddard Spaceflight Center. Mario had a
distinguished career in the investigation of planetary magnetic fields
and plasmas. He was honored by NASA with numerous prestigious awards
including the GSFC John C. Lindsay and Moe I. Schneebaum Memorial
Awards, the Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, the
Distinguished Service Medal and a Presidential Meritorious Rank Award
in recognition for his contributions to magnetometry and space
research.


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UPCOMING MEETINGS

1) 2nd Annual NLSI Lunar Science Forum, July 21-23, 2009, NASA Ames
Conference Center, at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field,
California.

See http://lunarscience2009.arc.nasa.gov

Abstract Submission Deadline: May 22, 2009.
Registration Deadline: Friday, June 12, 2009.

Highlights include Student Poster Competition with awards; The Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) will be announcing preliminary science
results; Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon
landing. Ames and NLSI are hosting a series of public events on
Sunday, July 19; LEAG Community Meeting.

There will be no registration fee associated with this forum. However,
participants are asked to register in advance.

The forum consists of invited and contributed oral and poster
presentations, together with breakout sessions to plan for the future
of lunar science and discuss other special topics.

Sessions are structured to report on recent results and anticipate
future opportunities for lunar science. Presentations on elements of
education and public outreach are included to better understand how
lunar exploration can be used to stimulate public interest in space
exploration and improve science literacy.

Registration, Abstract Submission, and all other details see:

For further information regarding local logistics contact:
SHIRLEY BERTHOLD, NASA ARC, (650) 604-1654, [email protected]

For further information regarding the format and scientific objectives
contact: JEFFREY MOORE, SOC Chair, NASA ARC, [email protected]


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