From tara at physics.usyd.edu.au Mon Sep 4 12:40:40 2017 From: tara at physics.usyd.edu.au (Tara Murphy) Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2017 12:40:40 +1000 Subject: [ASA] Data-driven Astronomy MOOC Message-ID: Hi everyone (particularly postdocs and postgrads), 6 months ago we launched our (free) MOOC on Data-driven Astronomy. We've now had over 2000 students doing the course, and had some great student feedback, for example: "I absolutely loved this course. I can honestly say this is my favorite class I've ever taken. What a perfect blend of real astronomy, programming, Python, SQL, machine-learning, and data analysis. " https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/krZGBXuAvNl2SD?domain=coursera.org The course assumes some knowledge of Python programming (including functions), but other than that there is no assumed knowledge. It will be running every month, so you can do it at any time. The next session starts on September 25th. Please feel free to forward to anyone you know who may be interested, and let me know if you have any questions, Tara --------- *Course outline * https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/krZGBXuAvNl2SD?domain=coursera.org This 6-week course is aimed at senior undergraduate and postgraduate students, or postdoctoral researchers who would like to learn more about computational thinking in an astronomy context. The course covers: *Week 1: Thinking about data* - Principles of computational thinking - Discovering pulsars in radio images *Week 2: Big data makes things slow* - How to work out the time complexity of algorithms - Exploring the black holes at the centres of massive galaxies *Week 3: Querying data using SQL* - How to use databases to analyse your data - Investigating exoplanets in other solar systems *Week 4: Managing your data* - How to set up databases to manage your data - Exploring the lifecycle of stars in our Galaxy *Week 5: Learning from data: regression* - Using machine learning tools to investigate your data - Calculating the redshifts of distant galaxies *Week 6: Learning from data: classification* - Using machine learning tools to classify your data - Investigating different types of galaxies -- A/PROF TARA MURPHY | ARC Future Fellow Sydney Institute for Astronomy | School of Physics | Faculty of Science THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY Room 358, Physics Building A28 The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 T +61 2 9351 3041 E tara at physics.usyd.edu.au http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~tara https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/krZGBXuAvNl2SD?domain=coursera.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From itso at aao.gov.au Mon Sep 4 16:10:30 2017 From: itso at aao.gov.au (International Telescopes Support Office) Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2017 16:10:30 +1000 Subject: [ASA] Call for Blanco proposals in Semester 2018A Message-ID: 2018A Call for Blanco proposals Proposals for Australian time on the CTIO Blanco 4m telescope for Semester 2018A (1 Feb - 31 July 2018) are due by *5:00pm AEST, Friday 29 September 2017.* A separate call for Magellan proposals in Semester 2018A (with a 6 Oct 2017 deadline) will be issued shortly. A reminder that proposals for Australian community access to the Subaru Telescope in Semester 2018A (https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/vxwbB0T3Oe5dTZ?domain=aao.gov.au) are due *this Thursday* (1pm AEST 7 September 2017). *What's new for Semester 2018A?* * In Semester 2018A there will be 5 nights on the Blanco 4m telescope available to the Australian community. A three week shutdown for recoating of the Blanco primary mirror has been tentatively scheduled for April 2018. The Dark Energy Survey (DES) has been granted the first halves of Feb 2-11 inclusive, and the DECals survey has been granted 22 dark/grey nights distributed throughout the semester. The rest of the semester should have few restrictions with approximately 60 nights available for allocation by the NOAO and Australian TACs. * The DECam imager and the COSMOS spectrograph are available for Australian proposals. COSMOS is available in an imaging, longslit and multi-object spectroscopy modes. The Astronomy Research with the Cornell InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (ARCoIRIS) instrument will be relocated to SOAR during the 2018 calendar year. Depending on demand, ARCoIRIS may be scheduled on Blanco early in 2018A before being taken out of service to carry out opto-mechanical modifications inside the dewar. How to apply Blanco proposals must be submitted using the AAO's Lens proposal submission system. For full details on instrument availability and application procedures, please see: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/1RkoBZsXRz9qHk?domain=aao.gov.au Need help? For general enquiries about Australian access to the Blanco telescope, please contact the International Telescopes Support Office (itso at aao.gov.au) at the AAO. Stuart Ryder Head of International Telescopes Support itso at aao.gov.au -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From R.Wayth at curtin.edu.au Mon Sep 4 19:49:11 2017 From: R.Wayth at curtin.edu.au (Randall Wayth) Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2017 09:49:11 +0000 Subject: [ASA] MWA 2018-A call for proposals Message-ID: Dear ASA community, The Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope's 2018-A call for proposals is out. The 2018-A observing semester covers January to June (inclusive) 2018. Please see the news tab of the MWA website for details: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/9OVQB5UaDQbzTl?domain=mwatelescope.org The array will be in the extended configuration for all of 2018-A. Please see https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/lqmYBbSDx95ATY?domain=mwatelescope.org for information on the Phase II extended array. Best regards, Randall -- A/Prof Randall Wayth Director, Murchison Widefield Array ICRAR | Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy Tel | +61 8 9266 9247 From joanne.dawson at mq.edu.au Tue Sep 5 14:58:18 2017 From: joanne.dawson at mq.edu.au (Joanne Dawson) Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2017 04:58:18 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Third announcement: 2017 ASA Diversity in Astronomy Workshop, 28-29 September, Macquarie University Message-ID: <09ED1E37-1A52-4DF3-A28F-B27DDDC6305B@mq.edu.au> Dear Colleagues, The programme for the upcoming ASA Diversity in Astronomy Workshop is now live! https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/2mpABDcYMLZ9TZ?domain=tinyurl.com Updated highlights: - Building Cultural Intelligence Workshop ? Charlotta Oberg, Director & Facilitator (PRISMA Cross-Cultural Consulting) - Aboriginal Engagement and Cultural Awareness ? Phil Duncan, Aboriginal Cultural Training Coordinator (Walanga Muru) - Evidence-based toolkit for Inspiring Change ? Harriet Jones, SAGE Project Manager (MQ), Alison Rodger (MQ) - Panel Discussion: Addressing Harassment in the Workplace ? Nicole Gower (Facilitator, MQ), Michelle Storey (CSIRO), Clara Mazzone (IT Power), Tasso Tzioumis (CSIRO), Renu Sharma (ICRAR) Registration closes: *** Thursday 21st September *** Student travel support is available. The LOC can be reached at astrodiversity2017 at gmail.com We look forward to welcoming you to Macquarie! Jo Dawson and Daniel Zucker, On behalf of the Organising Committee. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From itso at aao.gov.au Wed Sep 6 14:42:18 2017 From: itso at aao.gov.au (International Telescopes Support Office) Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 14:42:18 +1000 Subject: [ASA] ESO Update: Call for Proposals and Community Days Message-ID: <10815a51-e5dd-e4e9-2515-65e360f9070f@aao.gov.au> ESO Period 101 Call for Proposals The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has released the Call for Proposals for Period 101 (for observations between 1 April 2018 ? 30 September 2018). Under the terms of the new Strategic Partnership between ESO and Australia, Australian-based astronomers have access to the facilities of the La Silla and Paranal Observatories, specifically the: * 3.6m telescope; * New Technology Telescope (NTT); * Very Large Telescope (VLT); * Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI); * Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA); and * VLT Survey Telescope (VST). The proposal deadline is *Thursday 28 September 2017 at noon Central European Summer Time* (8pm Australian Eastern Standard Time). Complete details on how to apply can be found at https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/Ov16Blf7lLM3u2?domain=eso.org. All applicants should consult the Call for Proposals document for Period 101 (https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/9OVQB5UaxZnzuR?domain=eso.org), and will require an ESO User Portal account (https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/lqmYBbSDVr7AH2?domain=eso.org) to submit proposals. Additional information for Australian applicants, including advice for new users, can be found on the ITSO ESO pages (https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/z4nRBmU5b9QVuv?domain=aao.gov.au). ESO Community Days In the lead up to the Period 101 proposal deadline ITSO is coordinating a series of "ESO Community Days" around Australia, on behalf of ESO, the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and Astronomy Australia Ltd. The ESO Director for Science Dr Rob Ivison, and the Head of the Observing Programs Office at ESO Dr Ferdinando Patat, will provide a comprehensive overview of the current and future ESO observing facilities available, as well as the proposal preparation, submission, and assessment process. Stuart Ryder will cover the other international facilities available to Australian astronomers. The sessions will run as follows: *Monday 18 Sep 2017: AAO, Sydney* Time: 10:00am - noon. Venue: Meeting Rooms 1&2, behind the Reception/Security desk. Participants are not required to register in advance, but will need to sign in at reception on arrival. *Tuesday 19 Sep 2017: RSAA Mt Stromlo, Canberra* Time: 10:00am - noon. Venue: Duffield Lecture Theatre. *Wednesday 20 Sep 2017: Swinburne University, Melbourne* Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm. Venue: VR Theatre, AR building (http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/contact/#vrtheatre). Preceded by coffee with CAS staff from 10am in the staff room. *Thursday 21 Sep 2017: University of Western Australia, Perth* Time: 10:00am - noon. Venue: Ground floor seminar room at ICRAR/UWA, Ken and Julie Michael Building, 7 Fairway, UWA. A light lunch will be provided afterwards for attendees. *Friday 22 Sep 2017: University of Queensland, Brisbane* Time: 10am - noon Venue: Room 424 ("Interaction Room"), Building 6 (Physics Annexe), UQ St Lucia Campus (http://smp.uq.edu.au/content/uq-astrophysics-contact) For those unable to attend any of these events in person, the AAO-based session will include an option for Zoom video-conference participation, and a recording will be made available afterwards. Please contact itso at aao.gov.au for Zoom connection details. Stuart Ryder International Telescopes Support Office #ITSOaao -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MITA.BRIERLEY at ASTRONOMYAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU Fri Sep 8 08:47:54 2017 From: MITA.BRIERLEY at ASTRONOMYAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU (Mita Brierley) Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 08:47:54 +1000 Subject: [ASA] REMINDER - APPLICATIONS CLOSE MONDAY: Call for nominations for Australian astronomer positions to ESO Committees Message-ID: <071c01d3282b$57e8b690$07ba23b0$@ASTRONOMYAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU> Dear Colleagues, This is a reminder that applications for the Australian astronomer positions to the ESO STC and UC close on Monday 11th September 2017 at 9am AEST. (Note: the separate call made for the Australian astronomer position on the ESO Council closes at COB on Wednesday 13th September 2017.) Australian astronomer positions to ESO Committees Applications close at 9am AEST 11th September 2017 Under the Strategic Partnership between Australia and the European Southern Observatory (ESO), signed in July 2017, Australia is entitled to representation on four ESO governance bodies: The ESO Council, Finance Committee, Scientific Technical Committee, and Users Committee. On behalf of the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS), AAL is calling for nominations from Australian-based astronomers to represent Australia on the following ESO bodies:? * ESO Scientific Technical Committee (STC) * ESO Users Committee (UC) Potential candidates may apply for both positions, should they possess the appropriate skills and experience. Please note: we expect a call for nominations for the Australian astronomer position to the ESO Council to also be made in the near future. The AAL Board will consider and recommend applicants to the DIIS, who will in turn present the ESO Council with three Australian astronomer nominations per committee. The ESO Council will select one representative for each committee to meet its needs and ensure adequate coverage of relevant astronomical techniques and disciplines. This appointment will be made at the next ESO Council meeting on the 10 - 11 October 2017 and successful applicants notified shortly thereafter. The term of appointment for both the STC and UC is three years. Representatives are expected to be available to attend all meetings of their appointed committee over their term. Note that there is a very short timeframe between appointment to the STC by the ESO Council and the first STC meeting (24 - 25 October in Garching, Germany). Please indicate on your application should you not be able to attend the next STC meeting. >> A pdf document with details on each of these positions and the application process is attached to this email << How to apply If you consider yourself well placed to contribute to the ESO STC and/or UC (you may apply to both positions) via your expertise and ideas, and share AAL's vision for Australian astronomers having access to the best research infrastructure, please email Mita Brierley, AAL Senior Program Manager, with: * a completed cover sheet (word doc attached)?, * a one-page statement outlining your strengths and suitability for the role, * a maximum two-page CV, including any relavent conflicts of interest. AAL encourages applications from everyone with the appropriate expertise and skills. AAL has a target of 25% female participation across its elected and appointed positions on its Board, committees and working groups, including on its international appointments and strongly encourages applications from women. ? Applications close on Monday 11th September 2017 at 9am AEST. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Call for nominations - ESO STC and UC.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 113022 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Nomination Cover Sheet - ESO STC and UC.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 36894 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: ATT00001.txt URL: From orsola.demarco at mq.edu.au Fri Sep 8 11:42:06 2017 From: orsola.demarco at mq.edu.au (Orsola De Marco) Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 01:42:06 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Stars in Sydney 2017 Workshop announcement Message-ID: Macquarie University?s Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics Research Centre is proud to announce the workshop: Stars in Sydney 2017 November 20-21, 2017, Macquarie University, Sydney The goal of the workshop is to bring together astronomers with an interest in stars, from star formation, stellar evolution and binary phenomena, to stellar transients, those emitting electromagnetic and gravitational waves, all the way to using stars as tools to understand Galactic structure. We hope that this workshop will be a forum for developing new links and possibly even new collaborations. Confirmed speakers: Tim Bedding (Sydney University), Jarrod Hurley (Swinburne University of Technology), Rosemary Mardling (Monash University), Sarah Martell (UNSW), Peter Tuthill (Sydney University), Peter Wood (ANU), Dan Zucker (MQ) For registration and local information see tinyurl.com/yd5bybt9 Registration deadline: 3 November 2017 Sincerely, Orsola De Marco, Devika Kamath and Mark Wardle (SOC and LOC) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: