From micheleb at uvic.ca Mon Jan 6 11:16:23 2014 From: micheleb at uvic.ca (Michele Bannister) Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 00:16:23 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Planetary science and the Hubble Space Telescope Message-ID: <10C264B7-BF06-4502-ACB9-B89853D82EAF@uvic.ca> Dear ASA colleagues, Solar System observations have played a major role in HST?s science program since its launch in 1990. Planetary observations continue to figure prominently in HST?s annual schedule, particularly through Director?s Discretionary time, but the overall proposal pressure at the TAC has decreased in recent years. After consultation with the Space Telescope Users Committee, the Space Telescope Science Institute?s Director, Matt Mountain, has constituted an advisory committee to examine this issue and provide advice on future strategies for planetary science programs with HST. The committee is chaired by Prof. Phil Nicholson (Cornell) and the committee members are Michele Bannister (U. Victoria), Bonnie Buratti (JPL), Marc Buie (SWRI), Jean-Luc Margot (UCLA), Stefanie Milam (GSFC) and Glenn Orton (JPL). The committee is charged with: ? Reviewing the evolution of HST usage by the planetary community; ? Soliciting input on the future role that HST can play in planetary science and on methods for increasing participation by the solar system community; and ? Investigating potential mechanisms for coordinating HST science programs with priorities among the planetary community. At the present juncture, we would like to solicit suggestions from the community on ways that HST could better support planetary science, including changes in the way that proposals are reviewed, observing time is allocated and how scientific priorities within the planetary regime could be defined and refined. Please submit your suggestions either in text form or as short (1-2 page) white papers to hstsolarsys at stsci.edu, or contact any of the committee members directly. Best regards, Michele. ------------------------------------------------------ Michele Bannister Postdoctoral Fellow, Outer Solar System Origins Survey NRC Herzberg | University of Victoria Victoria BC, Canada http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~micheleb/ From swyithe at unimelb.edu.au Mon Jan 6 16:11:24 2014 From: swyithe at unimelb.edu.au (Stuart Wyithe) Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 05:11:24 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Decadal Plan web site and town hall meetings Message-ID: <92F5EA5C-3D41-4F9B-8B1A-8BDE1356EC47@unimelb.edu.au> Dear colleagues, In preparation for Decadal Plan activities during 2014, we have created the web site AustralianAstronomyDecadalPlan.org This web site contains information on the 2016-25 Decadal Plan time-line, activities and working groups. A primary method of community consultation during the decadal planning process is via a series of town hall meetings. The web site lists the planned timetable of town hall meetings to be held during February-April. Currently the dates of these meetings and the institutions where they will be held have been finalised to enable members of the community to plan their attendance. Further details will be made available to working group members as well as on the web site shortly. Where possible, meetings will be streamed via the web to enable remote participation. The town hall meetings will also be added to the ASA calendar. Members of the community who would like to contribute to town hall meetings, or who have not yet nominated for one or more of the working groups during the initial announcement periods and now wish to do so, are encouraged to contact the working group chairs. Best regards, Stuart ==================================== Professor Stuart Wyithe Australian Laureate Fellow Chair, National Committee for Astronomy School of Physics University of Melbourne Vic, Australia 3010 Phone: +61 3 8344 5083 Fax: +61 3 9347 4783 Email: swyithe at unimelb.edu.au science.org.au/natcoms/nc-astronomy.html ==================================== -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ausgo at aao.gov.au Wed Jan 8 11:10:53 2014 From: ausgo at aao.gov.au (Australian Gemini Office) Date: Wed, 08 Jan 2014 11:10:53 +1100 Subject: [ASA] GPI first light images Message-ID: <52CC978D.3030109@aao.gov.au> Happy New Year! After nearly a decade of development, construction, and testing, the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), the world's most advanced instrument for directly imaging and analysing planets around other stars, is pointing skyward and collecting light from distant worlds. Read more about GPI's first light images, released today at the 223rd AAS meeting in Washington DC, at http://www.gemini.edu/node/12113 Regards, The Australian Gemini Office on behalf of the Gemini Observatory -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Fri Jan 10 11:48:19 2014 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2014 11:48:19 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Things to consider when renewing ASA membership Message-ID: <5D994E7F-9159-4F71-9E3B-301D2B3A6E6F@sydney.edu.au> Happy New Year to all ASA members. Within the next couple of weeks you should receive the Annual Subscription Notice for your ASA membership. Your prompt payment is appreciated - and will attract the usual discount if paid by the end of February! One feature of this Notice each year is the opportunity to make a donation to the ASA's tax-deductible Foundation, the FAA. A notice describing the FAA and the activities it supports is attached. Please read it and consider if you can help the ASA sustain these activities. In addition, ASA Members should be aware that the ASA offers several grades of membership (described on the Membership web page at http://asa.astronomy.org.au/membership.html). Apart from our growing number of Student members, most other working astronomers will be either 'Members' (MASA) or 'Fellows' (FASA). This distinction was introduced to recognise a Fellow's substantial and ongoing contributions to astronomy. A Fellow is expected to have an established record in astronomical research, usually having perhaps 8 to 10 years of postdoctoral experience and having been a primary contributor to at least 10 well-regarded research papers in refereed astronomical journal. In practice, many members enter as Members and never think to make the change. In the current ASA membership of around 640, there are 270 Members and about 100 Fellows (and 17 Honorary Fellows). When renewing your membership, Full Members should consider upgrading to Fellowship. If you would like to make this change, please go to the 'Edit Membership' page at http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~asamail/asa_membership/asa_members_user_edit.php and update your Grade of Membership. To make it easier, you may wish to ignore the need to print the form and get two signatures. I can arrange that. However I DO need a brief CV emailed to me to justify your new status. John ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JOHN O?BYRNE Associate Head (Teaching & Learning) Chair, School Teaching & Learning Committee Secretary, Astronomical Society of Australia Inc. Sydney Institute for Astronomy School of Physics | Faculty of Science THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY Rm 222, 44-70 Rosehill St Redfern H90 (see map) | (alternate: Rm 205, Physics Building A28) Postal address: School of Physics | The University of Sydney | NSW | Australia | 2006 T +61 2 9351 3184 | F +61 2 9351 7726 E john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au | W http://sydney.edu.au/science/physics/~obyrne CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This email uses 100% recycled words and ideas. 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