Issue 11-21, December 23, 2011
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1) ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS AND COUNCILORS OF AAS
2) HELP FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE 2012 DPS MEETING
3) REMINDER : 2012 ONLINE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
4) HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE CYCLE 20 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
5) CFHT LARGE PROGRAM CALL (2013A-2016B)
6) ANNOTATED LISTING OF ASTRONOMY APPLICATIONS FOR PHONES & TABLETS
7) THE NASA EXOPLANET ARCHIVE
8) FREE ACCESS TO SPRINGER JOURNALS IN ASTRONOMY UNTIL 31 DECEMBER
9) EUROPLANET OUTREACH FUNDING AND PRIZE
10) JOB OPPORTUNITIES
11) UPCOMING MEETINGS
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ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS AND COUNCILORS OF AAS
The Elections of Officers and Councilors of our parent organization, the American Astronomical Society, for terms beginning in 2012 are now under way. Statements are available for all candidates on the AAS web site. Note that a candidate for councilor, Amy Simon-Miller is a DPS member.
Cast your ballot at: http://aas.org/vote/
You will need your login and password to vote.
Voting closes at 11:59pm EST, 31 January 2012
Candidates:
Vice-President: Margaret M. Hanson, Paula Szkody
Councilor: Nancy S. Brickhouse, Todd J. Henry, J. Todd Hoeksema, Steven D. Kawaler, Dara J. Norman, Amy Simon-Miller
Education Officer: Edward E. Prather
Nominating Committee: Elizabeth Blanton, Arne A. Henden, Jacob Noel-Storr
USNC-IAU Representative: Arlo U. Landolt, Smita Mathur
Any member wishing to use a paper ballot may request one by phone (202) 328-2010 ext. 115, fax (202) 234-2560 or by email to [email protected]. Include your member number with your request.
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HELP FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE 2012 DPS MEETING
The 2012 annual DPS meeting will be held in Reno, Nevada, October 14-19.
The DPS Committee would like to expand the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) by two or three people. Currently, Marla Moore and Wendy Calvin, with assistance from Dale Cruikshank, are handling local arrangements, with the close cooperation of the American Astronomical Society.
We especially need a volunteer who can SET UP AND MANAGE THE WEBSITE FOR THE MEETING, using previous examples as a model. The website can be hosted with the permanent DPS website on the AAS server.
The LOC will meet at least once in Reno, early in 2012, and will make decisions about the logistics and layout of the meeting site. The program for the meeting will be organized by the Program Committee, headed by Nancy Chanover.
Volunteers for the LOC should write to Dale Cruikshank ([email protected]) at the earliest opportunity.
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REMINDER : 2012 ONLINE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
Pay your 2012 membership dues online at https://members.aas.org/ by 31 December 2011. Renew today by logging in to your membership record. By renewing online and not receiving a paper renewal, you will help your Society save enormous costs.
Also, please take a moment to update your personal DPS member file.
If you do not renew on time, you will be removed form the membership and distribution lists within a month or two from the beginning of 2012.
Thank you for your attention.
Send general replies to [email protected].
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HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE CYCLE 20 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Release Date: 7 December 2011
Proposal Deadline: 24 February 2012
http://www.stsci.edu/hst/proposing/docs/cycle20announce
NASA and The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) are pleased to
announce the Cycle 20 Call for Proposals for Hubble Space Telescope
(HST) Observations and funding for Archival Research and Theoretical
Research programs. Participation in this program is open to all
categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including
educational institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA
Centers, and other Government agencies. This solicitation for
proposals will be open through 24 February 2012 8:00pm EST. The
Astronomer’s Proposal Tools (APT), which is required for Phase I
Proposal Submission will be made available/released for Cycle 20 Phase
I use during the 2nd week of January 2012. Results of the selection
will be announced in early June 2012.
Questions can be addressed to the STScI Help Desk (email:
[email protected]; phone: 410-338-1082).
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CFHT LARGE PROGRAM CALL (2013A-2016B)
CFHT is pleased to let you know that a new Large Program campaign
covering the period [2013A-2016B] is now open to proposals.
The deadline for proposal submission is 28 Feb 2012 – 23:59 UTC.
You will find information on this call as well as submission
guidelines at this URL :
http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/en/science/LP_13_16/
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ANNOTATED LISTING OF ASTRONOMY APPLICATIONS FOR PHONES & TABLETS
Published in Astronomy Education Review
Just in time for the holidays, an annotated overview of 98 astronomy applications for smart phones and tablets has been published in the on-line journal “Astronomy Education Review.” Compiled by Andrew Fraknoi (Foothill College), the list features a brief description and a direct URL for each app.
You can access the article free of charge at:
http://aer.aas.org/resource/1/aerscz/v10/i1/p010302_s1
The listing includes a variety of apps for displaying and explaining the sky above you (some using the GPS function in your device); a series of astronomical clocks, calculators, and calendars; sky catalogs and observing planners; planet atlases and globes; citizens science tools and image displays; a directory of astronomy clubs in the U.S.; and even a graphic simulator for making galaxies collide. A number of the apps are free, and others cost just a dollar or two. A brief list of articles featuring astronomy app reviews is also included.
Astronomy Education Review is on-line journal about astronomy education and outreach — published by the American Astronomical Society — which celebrated its 10th anniversary this fall. You can find it at http://aer.aas.org
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THE NASA EXOPLANET ARCHIVE
The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) is pleased to announce the release of the NASA Exoplanet Archive, a new NASA-funded service that will provide long-term data curation and analysis tools to the user community working with exoplanet data–primarily transit data sets from Kepler and CoRoT. The Exoplanet Archive’s content includes exoplanet and stellar host properties and Kepler candidate properties presented in interactive tables, including centroiding information from the Kepler pipeline. The service’s visualization of Kepler light curves includes interactive, multi-quarter plotting with optional normalization and links to periodogram and phased light curves.
Analysis tools include periodogram calculations for both archive and user-supplied data, and transit ephemeris predictions. Additional data content includes contributed exoplanet data from space- and ground-based projects. The Exoplanet Archive is available at
http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu.
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FREE ACCESS TO SPRINGER JOURNALS IN ASTRONOMY UNTIL 31 DECEMBER
Last days to benefit. No registration required. No strings attached. View or download all content from the astronomy journals: Solar Physics, Astrophysics and Space Science, Experimental Astronomy, The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, Astrophysics, Astronomy Letters, Astronomy Reports, Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics, Earth, Moon, and Planets.
http://www.springer.com/astronomy?SGWID=0-123-12-774104-0&cm_mmc=AD-_-Jo…
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EUROPLANET OUTREACH FUNDING AND PRIZE
The Europlanet Outreach team is pleased to issue two calls for
* The Europlanet Outreach Funding Scheme The Europlanet Outreach Funding Scheme aims to develop new ways of bringing planetary science to audiences across Europe. Each year, Europlanet will award grants of between 5000 and 15000 Euros for public engagement activities relating to planetary science. Submissions are judged according to criteria of innovation, the potential legacy of the proposed project and the possibilities for wide European participation.
* The Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement with Planetary Science The Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement with Planetary Science is awarded annually. Through the Prize, Europlanet aims to recognise the achievements of outreach providers in planetary science in Europe and raise the profile of outreach within the scientific community. It is awarded to individuals or groups who have developed innovative practices in planetary science communication and whose efforts have significantly contributed to a wider public engagement with planetary science.
Deadline: January 16th, 2012. More info on http://www.europlanet-eu.org/outreach/index.php?option=com_content&task=…
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
1) BARUCH S. BLUMBERG NASA/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CHAIR IN ASTROBIOLOGY
Application deadline: 30 January 2012
The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress is accepting
applications for the new Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress
Chair in Astrobiology. This senior research position will study the
intersection between the science of astrobiology and its humanistic
aspects. Application deadline, 30 January 2012.
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-202.html
2) GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN EXPLORATION
Invitations are now being accepted for Undergraduate Student, Graduate
Student (MSc and PhD) and Postdoctoral Fellowships in Exploration.
These positions are funded through a 6-year NSERC CREATE
(Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program) project
entitled “Technologies and Techniques for Earth and Space Exploration”,
led by the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX) at The
University of Western Ontario, Canada. Collaborating institutions are
the University of British Columbia, Memorial University of
Newfoundland, Queen’s University, University of Toronto, and York
University. Positions may be tenable at any of these 6 universities.
Major partners include the Canadian Space Agency, the NASA Lunar
Science Institute, and several Canadian space and terrestrial
exploration companies.
Applications are due by January 20, 2012 via email to [email protected].
We expect to award at least four Postdoctoral Fellowships and 12
Graduate Fellowships in the first year. Decisions will be announced
in February 2012.
3) TENURE-TRACK ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN GEOPHYSICS, NAU
The School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability at
Northern Arizona University invites applications for a tenure-track
appointment as an Assistant Professor in Geophysics for August 2012.
The successful candidate will teach senior and graduate courses in
Geophysics and other classes as needed, conduct a successful
sponsored research program in Geophysics, and support the Earth
and Planetary Systems emphasis area of the new Earth Sciences and
Environmental Sustainability PhD program. Minimum qualification is
an earned PhD in Geophysics; OR, an earned PhD in related area
with dissertation-related research in geophysics, conferred by
start date.
For more information on the position and how to apply please see:
http://hr.nau.edu/node/2796&job_req=558958.
4) NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm
Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1.
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research at NASA Centers. Each NPP fellowship opportunity is designed to advance NASA research in a specific project related to space science, earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, lunar science, or astrobiology.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. U. S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply.
An H-1B Visa status is not acceptable because the NPP is not an employment program.
Questions may be submitted by e-mail to [email protected]
5) USGS ASTROGEOLOGY ANNOUNCEMENT TO HIRE A NEW SCIENCE CENTER DIRECTOR
The incumbent serves as Director of the Astrogeology Science Center (ASTRO) in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and manages and directs all scientific activities therein. The USGS ASTRO Science Center conducts the major segment of the USGS’s program of scientific research into the geologic nature and history of the planets and satellites in the Solar System. The program encompasses a variety of scientific and technical disciplines including geology, geophysics, computer science, cartography, geodesy, space science, physical science, and remote sensing. This interdisciplinary position may be classified in any of the following professional occupational series; General Physical Science GS-1301; Geophysics, GS-1313; Chemistry, GS-1320; Geology, GS-1350. Astronomers and astrophysicists will typically apply under General Physical Science (GS-1301).
This opportunity closes 27 Jan 2012.
To find a detailed description of this position and additional information on qualifications and application procedures, please click on the USAjobs link
below:
Former and Current Federal Employees:
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/305114500
Non Federal Employees:
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetail/305112900
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
1) WORKSHOP ON THE EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM BOMBARDMENT II
February 1–3, 2012
Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI)
Program and Abstracts Available Now!
www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/bombardment2012/
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2) OBSERVING PLANETARY SYSTEMS II
Santiago, Chile, March 5-8, 2012
Conference webpage: http://www.eso.org/sci/meetings/2012/OPSII.html
Technical workshop webpage: http://www.sc.eso.org/~jgirard/hconis
Registration page for both meetings: http://www.eso.org/sci/php/meetings/OPSII/registration-open.html
Conference e-mail: [email protected]
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3) TITAN THROUGH TIME II WORKSHOP
3-5 APRIL 2012, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/~hurfordt/ttt/index.html
Deadlines are:
February 1st – Abstracts
February 15th – On-line registration
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4) EGU GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2012 (EGU2012),
22 – 27 AprIL 2012, Vienna, Austria
http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2012
The Planetary and Solar System Science Division of EGU is happy to announce that the call for papers is now open.
Detailed information on the planetary programme and meeting organization can be found on the EGU meeting website:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2012/sessionprogramme/PS
Each Session shows the link Abstract Submission. Using this link you are asked to log in to the Copernicus Office Meeting Organizer. Please pay attention to the First Author Rule as described at: http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2012/abstract_management/how_to_submit…
The deadline for the receipt of Abstracts is 17 Jan 2012.
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5) MARS RECENT CLIMATE CHANGE WORKSHOP RESCHEDULED
May 15-17, 2012
Ames Research Center
http://spacescience.arc.nasa.gov/mars-climate-workshop-2012/
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6) CALL FOR ABSTRACTS/PAPERS: EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE – BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS?
Vienna, May 21‐22, 2011
http://www.univie.ac.at/eph/exolife
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7) CONFERENCE “PLANET FORMATION AND EVOLUTION 2012”
Munich, September 3 – 7, 2012.
Stimulated by the discovery of more than 700 extrasolar planets and recent solar system observations, planet formation and the subsequent evolution of planetary systems has received the highest attention of the scientific community. Following the tradition of previous workshops in this series, this 8th Workshop on Planet Formation and Evolution will bring together scientists from various theoretical, observational and experimental fields and aims to stimulate interdisciplinary discussion between astronomy, astrobiology, planetary science, mineralogy, laboratory work, and other adjacent fields.
Registration will open in spring 2012. Since we are limited to a maximum of 200 participants (due to the capacity of the lecture hall), early registration is recommended. In the tradition of the former Planet Formation workshops, we plan a low-cost workshop with no printed proceedings and no conference fee.
www.usm.lmu.de/people/preibisch/planets2012
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8) THIRD INTERNATIONAL PLANETARY DUNES WORKSHOP
June 12–15, 2012, at the Lowell Observatory
First Announcement Available Now!
The workshop will also include a one-day field trip on Wednesday, June 13, to aeolian sandstones near Page, Arizona, via motor coach with two stops along the way.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/dunes2012/
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9) 39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
July 14-22, 2012, Mysore, India
URL: http://www.cospar-assembly.org/
Note the session B0.6 “Astrobiology: Life Signs Detection within Planetary Exploration”; which will address:
• Missions, instrumentation, and strategies searching for life signs in the Solar System;
• Origins and suitable environments for life in the Solar System;
• Space missions and instruments exploring Mars.
Convener: J.R. Brucato (INAF-OAA Firenze, Italy)
*** ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS 2012 FEBRUARY 10 ***
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10) THE PLUTO SYSTEM ON THE EVE OF EXPLORATION BY NEW HORIZONS: PERSPECTIVES AND PREDICTIONS
24-26 July 2013
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Columbia, MD
NASA’s New Horizons mission is now over 22 AU from the Sun en route to a reconnaissance flyby of the Pluto system at 32 AU in July, 2015.
In advance of that historic flyby, the New Horizons mission is sponsoring a scientific meeting to review knowledge of the Pluto System, to inform the planetary science community about the flyby and collaboration/DAP funding opportunities, to discuss and begin to prepare groundbased and spacebased observing proposals, and to provide a venue for scientific predictions.
To learn more about and register your interest on the meeting mailing list go to http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/conference/
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11) AOGS-AGU (WPGM) Joint Assembly
August 13-17, 2012, Singapore, Singapore
URL: http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2012/
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12) INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION GENERAL ASSEMBLY
August 20-31, 2012, Beijing, China
URL: http://www.astronomy2012.org/
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