Issue 16-08, March 27, 2016
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- NEOWISE 2016 DATA RELEASE
- EXOPLANET BIOSIGNATURES WORKSHOP WITHOUT WALLS
- SBAG 15 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS
- NOAO 2016B OBSERVING PROPOSALS DUE 31 MARCH
- ALMA CYCLE 4 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
- JOB OPPORTUNITIES
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NEOWISE 2016 DATA RELEASE
The Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) and the
Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) announce the NEOWISE 2016 Data
Release.
The NEOWISE 2016 Data Release includes all data acquired during the second
year of the NEOWISE Reactivation mission (Mainzer et al. 2014, ApJ, 792, 30),
13 December 2014 to 13 December 2015. These data are combined with the
Year 1 NEOWISE data into a single archive that contains approximately
5.1 million 3.4 and 4.6 micron images and a database of over 38.1 billion
source detections extracted from those images.
NEOWISE scanned the entire sky nearly four complete times during the first
two years of survey operations, with approximately six months between
survey passes. Twelve or more independent 3.4 and 4.6 micron exposures are
made on each point of the sky during each survey epoch. Therefore, the
NEOWISE archive is a time-domain resource for extracting multiple, independent
thermal flux and position measurements of solar system small bodies, as well
as background galactic and extragalactic sources.
A quick guide to the NEOWISE data release, data access instructions and
supporting documentation is available at
http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/neowise/.
Access to the NEOWISE data products is available via the on-line and API
services of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive
(http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu).
NEOWISE utilizes the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft that
surveyed the sky in 2010, and was placed into hibernation in February 2011
following the completion of its primary mission. The spacecraft was brought
out of hibernation in September 2013, and renamed NEOWISE with a mission
to detect and characterize asteroids and comets, and to learn more about the
population of near-Earth objects that could pose an impact hazard to the
Earth. Survey observations began on December 13, 2013, and the first
candidate solar system moving object detection tracklets were reported to
the IAU Minor Planet Center two weeks after the survey start. Three
deliveries of tracklets have been made each week since that time, yielding
over 300,000 confirmed detections of nearly 19,000 different solar system
objects to date.
NEOWISE is a project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of
Technology. NEOWISE is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
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EXOPLANET BIOSIGNATURES WORKSHOP WITHOUT WALLS
A NExSS and Astrobiology Program Joint Workshop
The NASA Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) and Astrobiology
Program are hosting an Exoplanet Biosignatures Workshop Without Walls
to review, frame, and advance the science and technology of remotely detectable
biosignatures for the search for life on planets around other stars. Future
exoplanet observations will soon focus on the search for life beyond the Solar
System. Biosignatures to be sought are those with global, potentially detectable,
impacts on a planet. Biosignatures occur in an environmental context in which
geological, atmospheric, and stellar processes and interactions may work to
enhance, suppress or mimic these biosignatures. The workshop will bring
together scientists from astronomy, planetary science, Earth sciences,
heliophysics, biology, biogeochemistry, and instrument/mission development.
When/Where:
mid-April, 2016: Pre-workshop online activities to commence
July 27-29, 2016: In-person workshop (and online participation), Seattle, WA
Website:
http://nai.nasa.gov/calendar/workshop-without-walls-exoplanet-biosignatures/
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SBAG 15 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dear SBAG community,
The SBAG 15 meeting is scheduled for June 28-30, 2016, hosted at APL in
Laurel, MD. Some logistical details are still being finalized, but a draft agenda
is now available online:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/
The SBAG 15 meeting is also in the NASA Conference Tracking System,
with NCTS # 24436-16. If you typically use the NASA Conference Tracking
System for your travel, or have a different travel authorization processes for
your institution, please follow those usual procedures.
Also, I’d like to say thank you to the many members of the SBAG community
who contributed to the generation of the SBAG Goals Document over the last
year, through serving on the committees, reviewing the drafts during community
comment periods, and contributing feedback and comments. The final document
is available online:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/goals/
Best wishes,
Nancy Chabot
SBAG Chair
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NOAO 2016B OBSERVING PROPOSALS DUE 31 MARCH
Dear Colleague:
Proposal forms and information for observing time requests for the 2016B
semester (August 2016 – January 2017) are available on the NOAO web page:
http://ast.noao.edu/observing/proposal-info
Time requests for 2016B may be made for Gemini North and South, Cerro
Tololo Inter-American Observatory (including SOAR and SMARTS), and
Kitt Peak National Observatory (including WIYN). Public-access time with
the Subaru and AAT telescopes is also available through time-exchange
agreements.
The Call for Proposals is available in HTML at
http://ast.noao.edu/observing/call-for-proposals-2016b
and as a self-contained, downloadable PDF document at
http://ast.noao.edu/sites/default/files/cfp2016b.pdf
Observing proposals for all facilities available through NOAO in 2016B
are due by Thursday evening, 31 March 2016, 11:59pm MST. The Gemini
Observatory has issued a Call for Proposals for 2016B. A time exchange
agreement continues with Subaru. For more information see:
http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/observing-gemini/2016b-call-proposals
Through an exchange between CTIO and the Australian Astronomical
Observatory, five nights at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) are
available in 2016B. For more information, see:
http://www.noao.edu/gateway/aat/
NASA and NSF have entered into a Partnership for Exoplanet Research
to support community use of the NOAO share of WIYN telescope time.
Proposals for non-exoplanet research are being accepted in 2016B as well,
but will be eligible for scheduling only if there is time available after the
approved exoplanet proposals are scheduled. For more information, see:
http://ast.noao.edu/observing/wiyn-exoplanets-2016b
Several new observing resources have become available to the NOAO
community. Recently added instruments or modes include:
– GRACES, feeding a hi-res CFHT spectrograph from Gemini North
– DSSI (speckle camera) as a visitor instrument at Gemini North
– Phoenix (hi-res n-IR spectrograph), visiting at Gemini South
– Mosaic 3.0 with LBNL CCDs at the KPNO 4-m
– KOSMOS Spectrograph, including MOS at the KPNO 4-m
– ARCoIRIS (n-IR imaging spectrograph) at the CTIO 4-m
– COSMOS Spectrograph, including MOS at the CTIO 4-m
– DSSI (speckle camera) for exoplanet programs at the WIYN 3.5-m
– ODI, with upgraded 40×48′ focal plane at the WIYN 3.5-m
For information about all telescopes and instruments available through
NOAO, including links to instrument pages and manuals, see:
http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/help/facilities.html
PhD thesis observations require a web form to be filled out by the
student’s advisor. Without this letter, students are ineligible for travel
support. The form needs to be submitted by Monday, 4 April 2016.
Please see:
http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/thesis/
Proposals For Gemini (including Subaru) MUST use the Phase-I Tool,
known as PIT. PIT is a downloadable application and is available at:
http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/observing-gemini/proposal-submission/phase-i-tool-pit
Proposals for all other NOAO resources should use the NOAO Web Proposal
Form available at: http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/
Proposals can be be completed and submitted through the web form.
Optionally, a customized version of the form can be downloaded, completed
locally, and then uploaded at: http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/submit/
Investigators requesting time with both Gemini and other NOAO resources
will need to complete both a PIT submission and the NOAO proposal form.
Questions about the proposal form or the proposal process may be directed
to [email protected]. Questions specific to an observing run may
be sent to the site, either [email protected] or [email protected].
Gemini related questions may be sent to [email protected] or through the
Gemini Helpdesk at:
http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/helpdesk/submit-general-helpdesk-request
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ALMA CYCLE 4 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is pleased to
announce the ALMA Cycle 4 Call for Proposals for scientific observations
to be scheduled from October 2016 to September 2017.
Deadline: 21 April 15:00 UT.
https://almascience.nrao.edu/proposing/call-for-proposals
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
A) POSTDOCTORAL SCIENTIST
Planetary Radar Group
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
content/postdoctoral-scientist
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