From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Mon Mar 9 09:43:01 2015 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2015 09:43:01 +1100 Subject: [ASA] ADASS XXV - First announcement - Sydney, Australia, 2015 Message-ID: FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS: ADASS XXV Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems (ADASS) Conference Series 25-30 October 2015 Rydges World Square, Sydney, NSW, Australia SUMMARY - A conference for those working in the acquisition, reduction, analysis, and dissemination of astronomical data - WWW site: http://www.caastro.org/event/2015-adass - Early Bird registrations and abstract submissions are now open. - Email adass2015-loc at caastro.org to ensure you receive further announcements Mark your calendars for the 25th annual conference on Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems (http://www.caastro.org/event/2015-adass). The conference will be held from 25-30 October 2015 at Rydges World Square, Sydney, Australia. The hosts of ADASS XXV will be ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO). This annual conference, held in a different location each year, is a forum for scientists, developers and programmers working in areas related to algorithms, software and systems for the acquisition, reduction, analysis, and dissemination of astronomical data. The ADASS XXV program will include invited talks, contributed papers, display sessions, tutorials, computer demonstrations, and special interest ("Birds of a Feather" or BoF) meetings. Key Themes for ADASS XXV are: ? Knowledge discovery and data management tools for astronomical Big Data ? LSST and lessons learned from current programs ? Algorithms for astronomical data reduction ? Real-time processing ? Visualization and innovative user interfaces ? Data pipelines The International Virtual Observatory Alliance will follow ADASS from the 30 October -2 November at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy, 44-70 Rosehill Street, Redfern. CONFERENCE FEES (including GST) Early Bird Registration Fee: $AUS 350.00 Registration Fee: $AUS 450.00 Student Registration Fee: $AUS 250.00 Focus Demo Fee: $AUS 200.00 Demo Booth Fee: $AUS 75.00 (Organisational fee) Demo Booth Fee $AUS 300.00 (Commercial fee) Conference Dinner Fee: $AUS 100.00 (the Conference dinner will be held at Luna Park) Conference Proceedings: $AUS 50.00 (Printed Copy. An electronic copy is included in the conference fee) FINANCIAL SUPPORT Limited funds are available to provide travel support and per diem expenses to scientists, programmers, or students who will need financial assistance in order to attend the Conference. The deadline for Financial Assistance applications is 20 June 2015. Applications for financial assistance can be sent to adass2015-loc at caastro.org DATES ? First Announcement: March 2015 ? Registration/Abstracts open: March 2015 ? Abstract deadline: 1 July 2015 ? Early Bird Registration deadline: 1 September 2015 ? Final Program: September 2015 ? Registration Closes: 15 October 2015 ACCOMMODATION BOOKINGS There is a block booking of rooms for workshop participants at the Rydges World Square, which is also the conference venue. The conference rate for rooms is AUD$185 (Deluxe King/Twin) room only. Larger rooms are available, subject to availability. A daily Buffet Breakfast is available at AUD$18. Located in the heart of Sydney, Rydges World Square provides easy access to affordable restaurants and supermarkets as well as iconic destinations including; Darling Harbour, China Town, Cockle Bay, Sydney Entertainment Centre and Sydney Harbour. This Sydney CBD hotel is 20 minutes from Sydney Airport (SYD). To make an accommodation reservation please click the link: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/ADASSXXV Please note that all bookings must be guaranteed by credit card at time of booking and full payment will be required at final checkout. Note that all rooms at the Rydges World Square are non-smoking. VISA INFORMATION All travellers other than Australian and New Zealand citizens need a valid visa or authority to enter Australia (including electronic visas). More information at http://www.immi.gov.au/Visit/Pages/Visit.aspx or Department of Immigration Fact Sheet for Travellers (www.caastro.org/files/36/1295927063/business-visitors-factsheet-june-2013.p df). Please contact the organisers if you need a letter of invitation for your visa application. For some nationalities, processing and issuance of visas can take several weeks/months, so apply well before your planned travel. PROGRAM ORGANISING COMMITTEE (POC) - Pascal Ballester (ESO) - Sebastien Derriere (CSA/France) - Daniel Devost (CFHT) - Mike Fitzpatrick (NOAO) - Carlos Gabriel, POC Chair (ESA-ESAC) - Stephen Gwyn (CADC) - Tony Krueger (STScI) - Mark Lacy (NRAO) - Jim Lewis (IoA) - Nuria Lorente (AAO) - Fabio Pasian (INAF) - Ray Plante (NCSA) - Arnold Rots (SAO) - Keith Shortridge (AAO) - Betty Stobie (NOAO) - Tadafumi Takata (NAOJ) - Harry Teplitz (IPAC/Caltech) LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE (LOC) - Kate Gunn, Co-Chair (CAASTRO/USYD) - Kylie Williams, Co-Chair (CAASTRO/USYD) - Nuria Lorente, (AAO) - Keith Shortridge, (AAO) - Randall Wayth, (CAASTRO/Curtin) -- | Carlos GABRIEL | XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre | European Space Agency (ESA) | | European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) P.O. Box 78, 28691 Villanueva | de la Ca?ada - Madrid - SPAIN | Tel: +34 91 813 13 51, Fax: +34 91 813 11 72 E-mail : | Carlos.Gabriel at sciops.esa.int -- From growell at physics.adelaide.edu.au Tue Mar 10 10:20:32 2015 From: growell at physics.adelaide.edu.au (Gavin Rowell) Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:50:32 +1030 (CST) Subject: [ASA] CTA Australia Workshop 16-17th April Adelaide Message-ID: The CTA-Australia consortium will hold its annual workshop in Adelaide, 16-17th April. CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array) will be the next generation TeV gamma-ray facility to follow on from HESS and others. It is expect to greatly expand our knowledge of the high energy sky from about 2020, when construction of CTA expected to be completed. The workshop website is here: http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/astrophysics/CTA/adelaideApr2015/index.html which includes some background to CTA, Australia's involvements in CTA, as well as links to the astrophysics issues CTA is expected to touch on. The workshop is open to everyone and there are still opportunities to submit a talk presentation via the registration link. with best regards, Gavin Rowell (for the CTA-Australia Consortium) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gavin Rowell ph +61883138374 High Energy Astrophysics Group fax +61883134380 School of Physical Sciences growell at physics.adelaide.edu.au University of Adelaide 5005, AUSTRALIA web: http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/astrophysics/gpr/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From jbryant at physics.usyd.edu.au Tue Mar 10 13:16:51 2015 From: jbryant at physics.usyd.edu.au (Julia Bryant) Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:16:51 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Reminder: HECTOR Science Workshop 8th April References: <746CE6E7-D1B7-422A-B7F0-449619594801@physics.usyd.edu.au> Message-ID: <86F65AB4-61A3-4C33-9ECA-352FC66EA827@physics.usyd.edu.au> Dear ASA members, This is a reminder to sign up NOW for the upcoming HECTOR science workshop on 8th April (see attachment). **Abstract deadline has past **Registration deadline is 12th March*** Feel free to forward to any non-members who may be interested. Apologies if you receive this twice. Thanks, Julia Bryant __________________________________________________________________________ Dr Julia Bryant | Senior Research Fellow ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO) Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA) | School of Physics | Faculty of Science Australian Astronomical Observatory THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY Physics Building A28 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 | AUSTRALIA T 0432951638 T International +61 432951638 E julia.bryant at sydney.edu.au | W http://sydney.edu.au/science/physics 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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: HECTOR_SCIENCE_WORKSHOP.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 63720 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Brian.Boyle at industry.gov.au Wed Mar 11 15:44:10 2015 From: Brian.Boyle at industry.gov.au (Boyle, Brian) Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2015 04:44:10 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Update on SKA Developments [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED] Message-ID: Colleagues, I have recently returned from Manchester, where I attended the SKA Board and Members meetings. As you may have already heard, an amended design for SKA Phase 1 has been adopted by the SKA Organisation, including a sizeable cut to planned infrastructure. It has been clear for some time that SKA1 as initially conceived, was not possible within the agreed budget. Accordingly, the project has prioritised the two science programs thought most likely to produce transformational results (pulsars and Epoch of Reionisation) and developed a telescope design capable of delivering on these projects within the cost cap of ?650 million. Details of the instruments are provided in the SKAO Media release here https://www.skatelescope.org/news/worlds-largest-radio-telescope-near-construction/ but essentially, the design sees a 30% reduction in SKA1 MID, a 50% reduction in SKA-Low and the ?deferral? of SKA-Survey. This results in a telescope with a reduced, but still impressive scientific capability. After consultation with the Australian astronomy community, the Australian Government determined to remain engaged in the project, but to advocate strongly for the inclusion of strategic scientific and technology pathways (e.g. PAF and ASKAP support) of particular importance to the Australian community. I believe this engagement has influenced some important inclusions in the re-scoped design that will benefit Australia and the SKA?s capability overall. While the infrastructure required for SKA1 Low and SKA1 Mid will make up the majority of SKA1, the Board has agreed to continue funding the development of Phased Array Feed (PAF) receiver technology and has proposed to support future ASKAP operations (timing and details to be negotiated with CSIRO). This will enable ASKAP to provide SKA1 with early survey capability and also serve as a platform for the development of next-generation PAFs. I believe it is this inclusion of transformational capability, not just the targeting of transformational science projects, that will allow the SKA to deliver truly transformational science. The Board did not confirm this rebaselined design as final, but rather noted the recommendation as a starting point for further intergovernmental negotiations. Negotiations will begin in coming months and will play a pivotal role in determining the future direction of the SKA. It is important to note that we have remained engaged with the opinions of Australia?s astronomy community throughout this process. The government?s support for the current proposed design at the Board meeting was strongly guided by the advice of an extended SKA Science Advisory Committee meeting held in the lead-up to the Board meeting. The ongoing support of Australia?s science community is fundamental to our involvement in the project. There are challenges ahead, but the SKA remains on track to being the world?s most powerful radio telescope. It is vital that we, the Australian astronomy community, remain positive in our support for this transformational facility as Australia enters negotiations with other partner countries. I look forward to your continued engagement with the SKA project. Warm regards, Brian Brian Boyle PSM FAA SKA Director Australian Square Kilometre Array Office Department of Industry and Science Industry House Level 9 10 Binara Street, Canberra City ACT 2601 GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601 Ph: +61-2- 6102 8943 Mob: +61 499 848 844 Email: brian.boyle at industry.gov.au Internet: http://www.ska.gov.au/ ABN 74 599 608 295 [http://www.ska.gov.au/sitecollectionimages/logo-auska.gif] ************************************************************************* The information contained in this e-mail, and any attachments to it, is intended for the use of the addressee and is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, read, forward, copy or retain any of the information. If you received this e-mail in error, please delete it and notify the sender by return e-mail or telephone. The Commonwealth does not warrant that any attachments are free from viruses or any other defects. You assume all liability for any loss, damage or other consequences which may arise from opening or using the attachments. The security of emails transmitted in an unencrypted environment cannot be guaranteed. By forwarding or replying to this email, you acknowledge and accept these risks. ************************************************************************* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4283 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From andrew.hopkins at aao.gov.au Wed Mar 11 17:30:33 2015 From: andrew.hopkins at aao.gov.au (Andrew Hopkins) Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2015 17:30:33 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Public submissions to the Astronomy Governance discussion Message-ID: <54FFE109.5070108@aao.gov.au> Dear ASA members, Following the town halls to discuss the Astronomy Governance discussions, there were 34 submissions to the working group, of which 24 indicated that they were comfortable being made public. Thanks to those supporting the working group who have consolidated these, I have attached the document that includes these public submissions, for the interest of the community. Andrew Hopkins President, ASA -- Prof. Andrew Hopkins, Head of Research and Outreach Australian Astronomical Observatory P.O. Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia ph: +61 2 9372 4849 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Consolidated responses to Astronomy Governance Discussion Paper.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 707070 bytes Desc: not available URL: From amanda.bauer at aao.gov.au Thu Mar 12 14:48:50 2015 From: amanda.bauer at aao.gov.au (Amanda Bauer) Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 14:48:50 +1100 Subject: [ASA] AAO Observer - Keeping astronomers in the dark - March 2015 Message-ID: <55010CA2.8040909@aao.gov.au> Hello! The biannual newsletter of the Australian Astronomical Observatory, the AAO Observer, is now available! The March 2015 issue reflects on 40 years of AAT operations, shows how distant galaxies can grow, describes the new Huntsman Eye project, and announces the new AAO Shaw Visitor Scheme, among the regular instrument and survey updates. The AAO Observer can be found here: http://www.aao.gov.au/about-us/observer SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS - Reflecting on 40 Years of AAT Operations - Distant ?cannibal twin? shows how galaxies grow - SAMI unveils a unified relation for all galaxies - Testing HERMES radial velocity precision - News from OzDES - Huntsman Eye Sees Deep - The FunnelWeb Survey: Building the HD Catalog of the 21st Century - Adaptive Optics Experiments on the AAT OBSERVATORY NEWS - The AAO Shaw Visitor Scheme - Hidden GeMS: observing with the Gemini multi-conjugate adaptive optics system - StarFest 2014 Photos - Planning Day 2014 ? Old and New - ITSO Corner - News from North Ryde - Letter from Coonabarabran Thank you for your support, Amanda, AAO Observer Editor -- Dr Amanda Bauer Astronomer and Outreach Officer Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia phone: +61 2 9372 4852 @astropixie EPOC Steering Committee Member From Jill.Rathborne at csiro.au Thu Mar 12 15:12:51 2015 From: Jill.Rathborne at csiro.au (Jill.Rathborne at csiro.au) Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 04:12:51 +0000 Subject: [ASA] ALMA Cycle 3 capabilities - Google hangout - April 2 Message-ID: <771CECA2-2BE8-47B6-AAD1-77A25F723F2B@csiro.au> Dear colleagues, In preparation for the upcoming ALMA cycle 3 proposal deadline, we are planning to broadcast a presentation from Dr Lars-Ake Nyman (ALMA, Head of Science Operations) via Google Hangout the morning of Thursday, April 2. The presentation will cover the key capabilities, updates, and relevant information for the community in regards to ALMA Cycle 3. Given the Easter break and the limited time between the Call for Proposals and the deadline (see below), we?ve opted to make this community event more informal than in the past. This presentation will cover important information relating to Cycle 3, so I?d encourage anyone considering submitting an ALMA proposal to participate. We?ll broadcast the presentation in ATNF?s Marsfield lecture theatre and, if we have sufficient interest, may also run an Observing Tool tutorial in the afternoon. If you?d like to participate, could you please respond to this message **by Monday March 16** indicating if you?ll likely be (a) participating online or (b) attending in person and whether you?d be interested in the afternoon tutorial. Cheers, Jill Rathborne __________________________ ALMA Cycle 3 pre-announcement information : https://almascience.nrao.edu/news/alma-cycle-3-pre-announcement Key dates 24 March 2015: Call for Proposals for ALMA Early Science Cycle 3, release of Observing Tool, and opening of the Archive for proposal submission. 23 April 2015: Proposal Deadline. August 2015: Result of the proposal review process sent to PIs. October 2015: Start of ALMA Cycle 3 observations. September 2016: End of ALMA Cycle 3 observations. ________________________________ Dr Jill Rathborne Research Scientist CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science PO Box 76 Epping NSW 1710 Australia Ph: +61 2 9372 4651 ________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Fri Mar 13 09:16:33 2015 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2015 09:16:33 +1100 Subject: [ASA] ANITA Steering Committee elections - **nominations requested** In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8C8445C0-891D-4E79-BE74-D43AA0C2E043@sydney.edu.au> Dear ASA members, Do you want to be part of shaping the landscape for theory in Australian astronomy? Do you have great ideas for connecting theorists and observers? Come and join ANITA's Steering Committee! ANITA will be holding its annual election to the ANITA Steering Committee in the week of March 23. The committee positions up for election are: - 3 Ordinary Committee members (2 year term) - 1 Student Representative (1 year term) These positions are currently held by Sarah Maddison, Orsola De Marco, Chris Power and Camila Correa (student) and we thank them for their service to the Chapter. Note that these committee members, and any previous committee members can nominate in this election. Please nominate yourself for a position on the committee! In the past year, ANITA has: - contributed to the Decadal Planning process with an ANITA submission and follow-up responses - hosted and provided online Google Hangout Lectures for the whole community - organised the 2015 ANITA Workshop and Astroinformatics School, hosted by the ANU. In 2015-2016, we have some more exciting developments. Please join us! As Returning Officer, please send to me via email (cathryn.trott at curtin.edu.au ) your name and a brief description of your interests in joining the ANITA Steering Committee, to be included in the election materials. To be eligible, you need to be an ASA Member, Fellow or Student Member. Election timeline: Monday March 9 - Friday March 20 Nomination period Monday March 23 - Friday March 27 Election period Week of March 30 Results announced. Regards, Cathryn ANITA Chair cathryn.trott at curtin.edu.au -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: