Issue 13-16, June 21, 2013
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1) NEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR PLANETARY SCIENTISTS
2) 45TH DPS MEETING : CALL FOR PAPERS AND WORKSHOPS
3) JULY 19, 2013: A DAY TO CELEBRATE THE PALE BLUE DOT, THE DAY THE EARTH SMILED
4) PLANETARY SCIENCES : NEWS FORUM AND SPECIAL ISSUES
5) NEW HORIZONS ENCOUNTER HAZARD UPDATE
6) HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT STUDY CALL FOR PAPERS
7) REMINDER OF DPS ELECTIONS
8) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
9) UPCOMING MEETINGS
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NEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR PLANETARY SCIENTISTS
The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is pleased to announce the formation of the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund. The fund will provide financial assistance to qualifying DPS members to facilitate their attendance at the annual DPS meeting by offsetting dependent-care costs, either at the meeting location or at home during the week of the conference. In this, its inaugural year, the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund will support Dependent Care Grants for the 45th annual meeting of the DPS in Denver, Colorado, 6-11 October 2013.
Dr. Susan (Mahan) Niebur (1973-2012) was a principal investigator, manager, and former Discovery Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters and the CEO of her own consulting firm specializing in space-science policy, the history and development of missions, and the success of women in planetary science. More importantly, Susan was a tireless supporter and strong advocate for creating professional development programming for early-career planetary scientists. It is the Division for Planetary Sciences’ hope that this new fund will provide an additional legacy for Susan’s contributions to the planetary-science community.
The initial budget for the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund has been graciously provided by the DPS Committee; outside donations are also welcome.
More information about the new fund, including how to donate:
development/susan-niebur-professional-development-fund
Contacts:
Dr. Vishnu Reddy
DPS Press Officer
+1 808-342-8932
[email protected]
Dr. Rosaly Lopes
DPS Chair
+1 818-393-4584
[email protected]
More information about Dr. Susan Niebur:
news/susan-niebur-1973-2012
45th Annual Meeting of the DPS, 6-11 October 2013:
http://aas.org/meetings/45th-meeting-division-planetary-sciences
The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is the largest organization of professional planetary scientists in the world. The DPS was formed in 1968 as a sub-organization within the AAS and is devoted to solar system and extrasolar planet research. Today it is the largest special-interest division of the AAS.
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45TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2013) : CALL FOR PAPERS AND WORKSHOPS
Denver, CO 6-11 October 2013
Details on the Denver DPS meeting are taking shape, and abstract submittal is currently open, with a deadline of July 18 9:00pm EDT for regular abstracts. See
http://aas.org/meetings/45th-meeting-division-planetary-sciences for information.
See in particular http://aas.org/dps-45th-meeting/45th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentati… and go to:
http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps
DPS specifies the following regulations for submission and presentation of abstracts at a Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting:
– Any person may submit an abstract.
– Presenters must be listed as the first author on the paper.
– Presenting/first author must register for the meeting.
– Nonmembers can only present once every 10 years.
– Nonmembers are required to have a sponsor who is an active AAS Full Member or DPS Affiliate; the sponsor will be notified.
If you are planning a workshop in association with the 2013 DPS meeting in Denver, please note that June 20 was the deadline to submit your proposal if you wished it to be included as an option on the DPS Meeting Registration form. Note that workshops that have registration fees must be listed on the DPS Meeting Registration form. The proposal deadlines for other workshops are Sept. 2 (for public workshops) and Sept. 30 (for private workshops). At the website above, choose the “Submit a Workshop Proposal” button. Be certain to read the read the “Instructions, terms, and conditions” linked at top prior to submitting your workshop proposal.
We hope to see you in Denver in October! The SOC and LOC.
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JULY 19, 2013: A DAY TO CELEBRATE THE PALE BLUE DOT, THE DAY THE EARTH SMILED
Dear Colleagues,
Something great, something big, something very special that’s never happened before is about to happen!
On July 19, 2013, the Cassini spacecraft will be turned to image Saturn and its entire ring system during a total eclipse of the sun, as it has done twice before during its previous 9 years in orbit.
But this time will be very different. This time, the images to be collected will capture, in natural color, a glimpse of our own planet next to Saturn and its rings on a day that will be the first time the Earth’s inhabitants know in advance their picture will be taken from a billion miles away.
It will be a day for people all over the globe to celebrate together the extraordinary achievements in our space programs that have made such an interplanetary photo session possible. And it will be a day to celebrate life on the Pale Blue Dot.
We, the DPS membership, have much to gain by spreading word of this event as widely as possible. To this day, I meet people who don’t know we have a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn. We can change that.
Already, the BBC and PBS/Newshour have published an article I wrote calling attention to this event, for which I am very grateful:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/06/celebrating-saturn.html
Word about it, which we’re calling `The Day The Earth Smiled’, is making the rounds on Twitter, with the hashtag #DayEarthSmiled.
Here are some things that are already underway ….
. JPL is planning a ‘Wave At Saturn’ program. Information about that can be found here:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/waveatsaturn/
. With a group of advisors and the help of organizations interested in astronomy (such as Astronomers Without Borders), I will be running two contests associated with this event, hopefully to be announced early next week.
. Astronomers Without Borders has graciously volunteered to coordinate The Day The Earth Smiled events around the globe. Soon, their website — http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/ — will have information on this.
At the moment, for future information on the non-JPL activities (as well as graphics showing where Earth will be relative to Saturn and what portion of the Earth will be illuminated during the picture-taking event) you can go to:
http://ciclops.org/view_event/193/
It would be grand if others within the DPS community could make this a teachable moment for kids in their area, and maybe even some adults, and turn it into a day of interplanetary self-awareness and celebration.
And by all means, do remember to go out and smile at the appropriate time!
Best to all of you,
Carolyn Porco
Cassini Imaging Team Leader
Director, CICLOPS, Space Science Institute
Adjunct Professor, University of Colorado
Boulder, CO
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PLANETARY SCIENCES : NEWS FORUM AND SPECIAL ISSUES
A) PLANETARY NEWS — INFORMATIONAL NEWS FOR THE PLANETARY SCIENCE COMMUNITY.
The Lunar and Planetary Institute is pleased to announce
Planetary News — informational news for the planetary science community.
www.lpi.usra.edu/planetary_news
Subscribe and opt-in to receive a weekly e-mail digest with the latest informational news from NASA, international space agencies, and other news sources.
Planetary News is an interactive forum and encourages discussion on articles. Sign in with your Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, or Google account and make a comment.
Be sociable and share news stories with your colleagues on your favorite social media sites.
Register for Planetary News as a contributor. You may submit your own stories and announcements.
B) ICARUS SPECIAL ISSUE ANNOUNCEMENT: DYNAMIC MARS
We are well into the 2nd decade of continuous Mars observations that began with MGS and have continued with ODY, MEX, MRO, and our landed spacecraft. Bridged to earlier times by spacecraft observations from the 1960s onwards, and a continuous telescopic campaign, our view of Mars is now one of a planet on which surface and atmospheric changes occur at frequencies of days, years, and decades, a testament to long-term monitoring that continues to this day. At this time, it is appropriate that this record, with implications for Martian geology, climate, atmospheric dynamics, and other processes, be integrated into a journal special section, submitted to Icarus by November 15, 2013.
This special issue is for papers that:
• Include surface, sub-surface, and atmosphere observations, or model results, that are new and a unique outcome of the long-term data acquisition provided by Mars spacecraft and telescopes
• Highlight the long-term implications of processes that are observed and ongoing now
• Are not reviews of previous work, unless new conclusions are drawn
Author guidelines for preparation of manuscript can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505620/auth…
For more information, please contact the editorial office at [email protected].
C) SPECIAL ISSUE IN PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE : OUTER PLANETS SYSTEMS
We invite colleagues who have recently given a presentation or plan to give one concerning outer planets and their systems at one of the 2013 Planetary meetings (EGU, EPSC, AOGS, etc), to submit a paper in a new special issue of Planetary and Space Science on the subject of the sessions : ” Atmospheres, Magnetospheres and Surfaces of the outer planets, their satellites and ring systems: Part X “.
All papers presented in these meetings (solicited, contributed oral and posters) and concerning results on the outer planets and their systems, as well as laboratory or modelling work for the analysis of such data, are welcome to an article in this issue of PSS. In particular, we welcome papers from presentations at the upcoming Uranus Workshop in Paris, France and other such workshops.
We will send out further information when the system is open for submissions in a few days at the Elsevier web site. The usual refereeing process is applied for publication in PSS. The deadline for submission of the manuscripts for this issue will be end of November 2013.
AS A FIRST STEP WE ASK FOR AN INDICATION OF INTEREST FROM THE AUTHORS SO AS TO KNOW HOW MANY PAPERS MIGHT BE EXPECTED, PREFERABLY BY END OF JULY 2013 OR BEFORE. SEND AN E-MAIL TO THE EDITORS HEREAFTER.
The Editors:
Athena Coustenis ([email protected])
Sushil Atreya ([email protected])
Julie Castillo ([email protected])
Patrice Coll ([email protected])
Ingo Müller-Wodarg ([email protected])
Linda Spilker ([email protected])
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NEW HORIZONS ENCOUNTER HAZARD UPDATE
Alan Stern (SwRI) & Hal Weaver (JHU/APL)
The New Horizons Project recently completed a 1.5-year study of the potential dust impact hazard from small-satellite-generated debris as the spacecraft flies through the Pluto system in July 2015.
This study concluded that the probability of a mission-ending dust impact is <0.3% if the spacecraft follows the current baseline plan, far below some early, more conservative estimates. Thus, the expectation is that the NH spacecraft will follow this baseline plan, with a close approach of ~12,500 km from the surface of Pluto.
However, two alternative plans (called SHBOTs, for Safe Haven By Other Trajectories) are also being developed to mitigate the (however-unlikely) possibility that new knowledge (e.g., from NH observations during the approach to Pluto, from new dynamical analyses, or from other non-NH observations) indicates the hazard risk is greater than predicted.
One plan, GIS (Generic Inner SHBOT), has essentially the same trajectory as the baseline (i.e., a closest approach distance from Pluto of ~12,500 km), but with the spacecraft turned so that the antenna faces the incoming dust particles (“Antenna-To-Ram”, or ATR), thereby protecting the spacecraft underneath. The other plan, DIS (Deep Inner SHBOT), would also use ATR attitude as protection, but would additionally divert the trajectory to within ~3000 km of Pluto’s surface, where atmospheric drag removes dust on very short timescales.
Further discussion of the impact hazard study and the SHBOTs is provided at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPerspective.php
The NH Project presented the results of this impact hazard study, and this mitigation plan, to an independent NASA review panel and to the NASA SMD Program Management Council (PMC). Both of these groups endorsed the plan.
The NH Project is now moving forward to finalize the Encounter plans for 2015.
An in-flight rehearsal of the most critical 9-day portion of the baseline Encounter plan is taking place in early-July 2013.
The NH spacecraft remains on target for a close approach to Pluto in 2015, all subsystems are performing nominally, and the anticipated science observations promise to revolutionize our understanding of dwarf planets and the Kuiper belt.
The NH mission and its planned scientific returns will be presented and discussed, as will pre-encounter scientific predictions, at a scientific conference July 22-26, 2016 at APL in Laurel, MD, where the entire planetary community is invited to share their predictions for what can be expected during this first in situ exploration of the Solar System’s third zone. More on and registration information can be found at: http://plutoscience.jhuapl.edu
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HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT STUDY CALL FOR PAPERS
The National Research Council’s (National Academies) Committee on Human Spaceflight has recently released a call for short input papers on the role and future of human spaceflight. This opportunity, which has a deadline of July 9, 2013, may be of interest to members of the various space science disciplines such as planetary science. We would welcome your letting your readers know about this opportunity to provide inputs and perspectives to our study committee. This request for input papers is open to any and all interested individuals and groups. For more information on the committee and the goals of the study, please see the statement of task at http://www.nationalacademies.org/humanspaceflight.
The Committee on Human Spaceflight invites interested individuals and groups to submit input papers describing their own ideas on the role of human spaceflight and their vision for a suggested future. In developing their papers, respondents are asked to carefully consider the following broad questions.
1. What are the important benefits provided to the United States and other countries by human spaceflight endeavors?
2. What are the greatest challenges to sustaining a U.S. government program in human spaceflight?
3. What are the ramifications and what would the nation and world lose if the United States terminated NASA’s human spaceflight program?
This request for input papers is open to any and all interested individuals and groups. For more information on the committee and the goals of the study, please see the statement of task at http://www.nationalacademies.org/humanspaceflight.
Submissions must be made through http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DEPS/ASEB/DEPS_083343
by no later than July 9, 2013.
All submitted white papers will be made public.
Contact
Sandra J. Graham, Ph.D.
Study Director
Space Studies Board
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202)334-3477
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REMINDER OF DPS ELECTIONS
PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE !!
The 2013 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee is now open, and will close on July 31st 2013.
To vote, go to
http://aas.org/vote/
You will need your AAS member login ID (which defaults to your membership number), and your password. If you haven’t registered to or renewed your DPS membership recently, you are getting this e-mail because we are using large recent DPS lists, but you may actually not be an active member anymore… So, please take a moment to check your status now and renew if you haven’t done so already. This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.
And if you haven’t already done so, renew online at https://members.aas.org/ by logging into your membership record. You must have your login and password information.
Also, please take a moment to update your personal DPS member file.
If you have any problems, and for general replies, or if you are a special status (affiliate, etc) write to or call :
Faye Peterson
Director of Membership Services
[email protected]
202.328.2010, extension 109
202.234.2560, fax
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JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
For all Job opportunities, please visit jobs
and also consider posting a job by filling out the jobs submission form at:
node/add/job
You can send any comments, questions, or suggestions to the DPS Jobs Czar at: [email protected]
A) LECTURER IN PLANETARY PHYSICS AT IMPERIAL COLLEGE, LONDON
This is a three year, fixed term appointment at Lecturer Level, based in the Space and Atmospheric Physics Group in the Department of Physics.
Following the recent award of the magnetometer Principal Investigator role on the JUICE mission to SPAT and our continued success within the Cassini magnetometer PI team within the group, the goal of this post is to consolidate the group’s expertise in Planetary Physics. The group’s high profile instrument building role in space and planetary missions over the last 50 years has been driven by the cutting edge science activities within the group. The recent focus on magnetic field observations at Saturn via Cassini has examined magnetospheric dynamics, the planetary internal magnetic field and the moon-magnetosphere interactions. This research links well into the goals of the JUICE mission to the Jupiter system.
The successful candidate will be expected to support and lead high profile research in the areas of planetary magnetospheres, internal planetary fields and moon-plasma interactions as well as identify opportunities for future involvement in space and planetary missions through the ESA programme, bilateral missions and other opportunities. The candidate will have a 30% teaching load, to allow them the opportunity to focus on research and potential funding opportunities. The post is central to the SPAT group’s programme of planetary research and will strengthen and expand that within the Department of Physics.
For further information visit http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/employment and enter “Planetary Physics” or Reference Number NS2013077SC as the “keyword” on the Job Search page.
Informal enquiries should be addressed to Prof. Michele Dougherty, Planetary Lead ([email protected]) or Prof. Steve Schwartz, Head of Space and Atmospheric Physics ([email protected]). Application queries should be addressed to the Space & Atmospheric Physics Admin Office ([email protected]).
Closing date: 22 July 2013
Contact : Prof. Michele K. Dougherty FRS
Space and Atmospheric Physics
Imperial College London
SW7 2AZ, UK
+44-207-5947757
[email protected]
B) NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
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, exploration systems, lunar science, astrobiology, or astrophysics.
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.
Stipends start at $53,500 per year, with supplements for high cost-of-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and $8,000 per year is provided for professional travel.
Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1.
For further information and to apply, visit:
http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm
Questions may be submitted by e-mail to [email protected]
C) OSTP STUDENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is currently accepting applications for its Fall 2013 Student Volunteer Program. Deadline: 28 June 2013.
http://aas.org/posts/opportunity/2013/06/applications-welcome-ostp-stude…
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
See also: PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS
Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html
A) ANALOG SITES FOR MARS MISSIONS II: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE MISSIONS TO MARS
Abstract submission is now open for the Workshop on Analog Sites for Mars Missions II. The workshop will be held on August 5–7, 2013, at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Washington, D.C. The organizers invite submission of abstracts that are discussing terrestrial analog research relevant to astrobiology or geological processes on Mars. Abstracts discussing field instrument testing in terrestrial analog environments are also welcome.
The Abstract Deadline is Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 5:00 p.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time (GMT -5)
For more information visit http://planetsonearth.com/
B) COMET ISON OBSERVER’S WORKSHOP
Colleagues,
I am pleased to invite you to the Comet ISON Observer’s Workshop. In order to facilitate the maximal observing of ISON, we will be holding a 2- day pre-encounter workshop at JHU/APL on 1-2 August 2013. The meeting’s overarching goal is to maximize the scientific return from ISON’s 2013 apparition. Confirmed speakers to date include Fast, Green, and Johnson of NASA HQ and Schrijver, Feaga, Fernandez, Knight, Lisse, and Wooden of our comet community.
All interested parties are welcome to attend and discuss their observing plans and needs, and what is currently known about the comet. The format of the meeting will maximize group discussion and communication. There is no cost for attending this meeting, and a light breakfast and afternoon snacks will be served. Pre-registration using the Registration page linked to https://dnnpro.outer.jhuapl.edu/isonworkshop/Home.aspx is required for attendance. Nearby hotels and restaurants are listed on the linked Lodging and Accommodations page.
We look forward to seeing you at a lively and informative meeting. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email.
– Carey Lisse + the NASA Comet ISON Observing Campaign (CIOC) Team
C) 4TH PLANETARY CRATER CONSORTIUM MEETING
The 4th Planetary Crater Consortium meeting will be held August 14-16, 2013, at the US Geological Survey in Flagstaff, AZ. The Planetary Crater Consortium is open to planetary scientists interested in any aspect of impact cratering on solar system bodies, including observational, theoretical, experimental, and numerical studies. The meeting is a combination of invited talks, contributed talks, and open discussion. Abstract deadline is Friday, July 26, 2013. For more information, see www.planetarycraterconsortium.nau.edu/ or contact Nadine Barlow ([email protected]).
D) OUTER PLANETS ASSESSMENT GROUP (OPAG) MEETING DATES ANNOUNCED
Dates for the next OPAG meeting have been confirmed.
The meeting will be held July 15–16, 2013, in the Washington, DC, area.
When more details are available, they will be posted on the OPAG website:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/
E) GSA 2013 OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM SATELLITES COMPANION SESSIONS
We call to your attention two companion planetary science sessions at the annual Geological Society of America meeting held Oct 27-30 in Denver, CO focusing on studies related to the outer solar system satellites.
T9: “Outer Satellite Exploration: The Next 50 Years”. This session will discuss current paradigms and unanswered fundamental questions about outer planet satellites that will be important considerations in future outer solar system exploration, and mission and instrument concepts that address them.
T12: “Voyager to New Horizons: Exploring Surface and Interior Processes of Icy Worlds”. This session will highlight surface and tectonic processes, interiors, and the thermal evolution of icy satellites, KBOs, and planetary analogs. We encourage experimental and theoretical modeling studies, as well as observational approaches to address current scientific objectives.
Additional information about the GSA meeting can be found at:
http://community.geosociety.org/2013AnnualMeeting/Home/
To submit an abstract to either session please visit (Submission Deadline August 6th, 11:59pm PST):
https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013AM/cfp.epl
Questions about session T9 should be directed to David Williams
([email protected]), and for session T12 should be directed
to Emily Martin ([email protected]).
F) AGU FALL MEETING
San Francisco, CA, December 9–13, 2013.
– SPECIAL SESSION P018: MERCURY AFTER TWO YEARS OF MESSENGER ORBITAL OBSERVATIONS
After two full years of orbital observations of Mercury, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft began its Second Extended Mission in March. The Second Extended Mission is addressing Mercury’s surprising volatile inventory, exploring newly revealed aspects of the planet’s geological evolution, and witnessing the dynamic response of Mercury’s exosphere and magnetosphere to the peak and early waning phases of solar activity. This session will highlight the latest results on Mercury from MESSENGER orbital observations and welcomes contributed papers on future mission opportunities, complementary ground-based observations, laboratory measurements, and theoretical developments relevant to planetary processes at Mercury.
Please consider submitting an abstract for this session. For more information, visit: https://fallmeeting.agu.org/2013/scientific-program/session-search/sessi…
The submission deadline is August 6, 2013.
Conveners:
Paul Byrne (Carnegie Institution of Washington)
Sean Solomon (Columbia University)
Larry Nittler (Carnegie Institution of Washington)
We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco.
– SPECIAL SESSION: P008. ENCELADUS: LITTLE MOON, BIG POSSIBILITIES
With towering jets of icy particles and organic compounds deriving from a salty, subsurface sea, Enceladus likely offers the most accessible extraterrestrial habitable zone in our solar system. In this special session, now in its 8th year, we will focus on those topics relating to the origin and state of the moon’s geologically active south polar terrain (SPT). These include observational, theoretical and modeling investigations of the composition, state, and dynamics of Enceladus’ jets and plume, its thermal and interior state and evolution, and the geomorphology of the SPT and similar provinces. We also welcome studies addressing future spaceflight missions and the moon’s potential for biological activity.
Abstract deadline: August 6, 2013, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT
CURRENT SECTION/FOCUS GROUP: Earth and Planetary Surface Processes (EP)
CO-SPONSORING SECTION(S): Biogeosciences (B)
Also:
. All accepted sessions will be available to search on the meeting website the week of 17 June.
. The abstract submission site will open the week of 17 June. The deadline for all submissions is 6 August 23:59 EDT/03:59 +1 GMT. There can be no exceptions.
Conveners: Chris McKay, NASA, Moffett Field, CA, United States.
Carolyn Porco, Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO, United States.
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