From Noelia.MartinezRey at anu.edu.au Tue Dec 10 10:52:58 2019 From: Noelia.MartinezRey at anu.edu.au (Noelia Martinez Rey) Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 23:52:58 +0000 Subject: [ASA] EOI I Summer School of Astronomical and Space Instrumentation Message-ID: <2E21F90B-D6D4-492E-AAD1-C6F769DE3B32@contoso.com> Good morning, My name is Noelia Martinez, academic postdoc at the Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre in Stromlo Observatory, ACT. We?re trying to organise the 1st Summer School of Astronomical and Space Instrumentation in Australia in 2021, for Early- and Mid- Career Researchers and last year PhD students in both, technical and scientific fields. The School has the aim of providing a better understanding of the astronomical and space instrumentation from both points of view: from the very initial need of the instrument in order to develop high quality science, to its design, execution and operation in either a space or a ground-based telescope. The Summer School is intended to last from 4 to 5 days, with theoretical lectures, lab sessions and industry engagements activities. With the purpose of better understanding the expected audience, we?ve created a survey and we?d really appreciate its distribution among the Early and Mid Career Researchers community. I Summer School of Astronomical and Space Instrumentation Please complete the survey to help us better predict the audience we could expect. Your opinion is important!! RESPONSES DUE BY 14/DEC/2019 -> https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/VrTXCyoNVrcxpLLphZsjQr?domain=forms.gle Thank you for your cooperation, Best regards Noelia Martinez Postdoctoral Fellow Australian National University Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Weston Creek 2611 ACT [signature_939641301] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 99447 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Tue Dec 10 11:25:57 2019 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 00:25:57 +0000 Subject: [ASA] AAS Survey of Ground-Based Telescope Directors about Satellite Constellations References: Message-ID: <6E8220A9-34C9-43E8-90AC-5ABC8C8C764D@sydney.edu.au> The following email is directed to major observatories rather then individual astronomers, but I think it will be of obvious interest to all ASA members: Dear colleagues, The future of optical ground-based observations stands to be seriously impacted by the dramatic increase in low earth orbiting satellites in the coming years. The trend in the satellite communications industry of launching mega-constellations will lead to 1-2 orders of magnitude more bright moving objects in the sky. As you know, there is no statutory or regulatory framework outside the radio bands. The AAS has been in contact with SpaceX since early June and these discussions keep coming back to the need to quantify some sort of observational threshold for OIR interference. In other words, what figures of merit would SpaceX and other operators need to hit for their impact on OIR observations to be considered minimal? Toward the goal of helping quantify what our community can reasonably ask of these satellite operators, the AAS Committee on Light Pollution, Space Debris, and Radio Interference is conducting a survey of research observatories to assess the scale of impact these constellations will have on the scientific campaigns for current and future observatories and to help us better understand more specifically how different observatories and their suites of telescopes, instruments, and observing modes could be impacted assuming no changes in current corporate plans. The results of this survey will inform our discussions with SpaceX that we expect will lead to engineering and operational changes to the Starlink constellation, subject to the constraints of the company?s business plan of course. We hope that other companies will be as receptive to input as SpaceX has been so far. We are also exploring whether it would be beneficial to organize a workshop in mid-2020 in order to gather our community and the commercial operators for face-to-face discussions of the problems and possible solutions. It will help our efforts greatly if you could complete the survey at https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/EKL3C3Q8Z2FnOonkSgQ9SW?domain=aas.org by 19 December. Please forward this survey to anyone we may have missed. The timeline is short because we plan to present preliminary results of the survey during a special session at the AAS Winter Meeting in Honolulu. The session will also feature other presentations on estimated impacts and SpaceX senior management has agreed to participate. Please direct your questions to public.policy at aas.org. Thank you, Megan Donahue AAS President donahu42 at msu.edu ????????????????????????? "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept? ????????????????????????? ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JOHN O?BYRNE Associate Dean (Student Life), Faculty of Science Secretary, Astronomical Society of Australia Inc. Sydney Institute for Astronomy School of Physics | Faculty of Science THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY 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 https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/b4LWC5QZ29FB23BJSyb4rf?domain=sydney.edu.au 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: From thill at museum.vic.gov.au Tue Dec 10 12:28:24 2019 From: thill at museum.vic.gov.au (Tanya Hill) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 01:28:24 +0000 Subject: [ASA] ASA Prizes open for nomination - CLOSING DATE 14 February 2020 Message-ID: Nominations are now open for the following ASA prizes: * the Bok Prize for outstanding research in astronomy by an Honours or eligible Masters student, * the Charlene Heisler Prize for the most outstanding PhD thesis in astronomy or closely related field, * the Louise Webster Prize for outstanding research by a scientist early in their post-doctoral career, * the Anne Green Prize for a significant advance or accomplishment by a mid-career scientist, CLOSING DATE for all prizes is Friday 14th February, 2020. Submissions should be emailed to the ASA Prizes and Awards Coordinator, Dr Tanya Hill: thill at museum.vic.gov.au The ASA is strongly committed to improving the representation and status of women in astronomy. The Society expects that female candidates should comprise at least 25% of the nominations for each prize and acknowledges the support of institutions for helping to achieve this goal. The fraction of female candidates nominated for each prize across the last five years is included below. Bok Prize - Closing Date: Friday 14th February, 2020 https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/Xm_8CxnMRvtYzzy7s8TgmO?domain=asa.astronomy.org.au - For most outstanding Honours/Masters thesis in astronomy or closely related field. - Eligible Masters students are those who have entered their Masters degree directly from a 3 year undergraduate degree (without undertaking an Honours year). - All degree requirements must have been completed in 2019. - A maximum of 2 nominations can be submitted by an Australian university - Nominations must be endorsed by the Head of Department and submitted by the candidate's supervisor. Percentage of female nominations in previous years: 62% (2019), 0% (2018), 29% (2017), 50% (2016), 83% (2015) Charlene Heisler Prize - Closing Date: Friday 14th February, 2020 https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/KTI7CzvOWKi5773kcgp25g?domain=asa.astronomy.org.au - For most outstanding PhD thesis in astronomy or a closely related field. - The PhD thesis must have been accepted (but not necessarily conferred) by an Australian university during 2019. - A maximum of 2 nominations can be submitted by an Australian university. - Nominations must be endorsed by the Head of Department and submitted by the candidate's supervisor. Percentage of female nominations in previous years: 38% (2019), 44% (2018), 43% (2017), 25% (2016), 40% (2015) Louise Webster Prize - Closing Date: Friday 14th February, 2020 https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/dsvVCBNZwLiYyy1wsWqrQ4?domain=asa.astronomy.org.au - For outstanding research by a scientist early in their post-doctoral career, based on the scientific impact of a single research paper (within astronomy or a closely related field), which has the applicant as first author. - The applicant is required to have been an ASA member for at least two years prior to nomination for the award. - The applicant must have had their PhD conferred within five years prior to the nomination deadline (acceptable leaves of absence from active research will be taken into consideration when determining eligibility). Percentage of female nominations in previous years: 50% (2019), 100% (2018), 0% (2017), 0% (2016), 100% (2015) Anne Green Prize - Closing Date: Friday 14th February, 2020 https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/tWH5CE8kz9tEYYmvFB5Ma4?domain=asa.astronomy.org.au - For a significant advance or accomplishment by a mid-career scientist, based on a nominated body of work that supports the scientific accomplishment and the subsequent impact of the research (within astronomy or a closely related field). - The nominated body of work must have been published in refereed scientific journals, appearing in final published form within 5 years prior to the nomination deadline. - The applicant is required to have been an ASA member for at least two years prior to nomination for the award. - The applicant must have had their PhD conferred 5 to 15 years prior to the nomination deadline (acceptable leaves of absence from active research will be taken into consideration when determining eligibility). Percentage of female nominations in previous years: 40% (2019), 50% (2018) Submissions should be emailed to the ASA Prizes and Awards Coordinator, Dr Tanya Hill - thill at museum.vic.gov.au by the closing date of Friday, 14th February 2020. all the best, Tanya ASA Prizes and Awards Coordinator Dr Tanya Hill Senior Curator, Astronomy Melbourne Planetarium Museums Victoria GPO Box 666 Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia museumsvictoria.com.au +61 3 9392 4503 @nightskymelb Scienceworks: Tues & Fri Museums Victoria acknowledges the Woi Wurrung (Wurundjeri) and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nations where we work, and First Peoples language groups and communities across Victoria and Australia. Our organisation, in partnership with the First Peoples of Victoria, is working to place First Peoples living cultures and histories at the core of our practice. [https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/X718CJyp0qhNVVR6SkRYFU?domain=museumsvictoria.com.au] This e-mail is solely for the named addressee and may be confidential. You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy, distribute, act in reliance on or commercialise the contents if you are authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, please notify postmaster at museum.vic.gov.au by email immediately, or notify the sender and then destroy any copy of this message. Views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender, except where specifically stated to be those of an officer of Museums Victoria. Museums Victoria does not represent, warrant or guarantee that the integrity of this communication has been maintained nor that it is free from errors, virus or interference. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vkilborn at swin.edu.au Tue Dec 10 14:39:43 2019 From: vkilborn at swin.edu.au (Virginia Kilborn) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 03:39:43 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Fw: IAU PhD Prize In-Reply-To: <20190930101442.106.45444@iau> References: <20190930101442.106.45444@iau> Message-ID: Dear all - Please see the following message about the IAU PhD prize - nominations are due on 15 December. Virginia From: Denis Burgarella Sent: Monday, 30 September 2019 8:14 PM To: Virginia Kilborn Subject: IAU PhD Prize Dear Div. J members, The IAU PhD Prize is now open for applications. The deadline for all applications will be 15 December 2019. The application form is available from the following link: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/_PGBCp8AJQtY7BmDtPQb4o?domain=iau.org and the conditions and details for the application are available from the following link: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/atVtCq7BKYtqVoZWiX8N1k?domain=iau.org. This prize recognizes outstanding scientific achievement in Astrophysics and each IAU Division has, once a year, the opportunity to select one application. So please consider this prize as a unique opportunity to valorize your PhD work and to make it known in the IAU community and even broader. Best regards, Denis Burgarella President of Div. J: Galaxies and Cosmology Prof. Virginia Kilborn Dean | School of Science | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology Swinburne University of Technology | Hawthorn VIC 3122 AUSTRALIA T: +61 3 9214 4380 | E: vkilborn at swin.edu.au | www: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/P64MCr8DLRtgWGE9i4H1_A?domain=bit.ly Executive Assistant to the Dean | Jordan Gardner | T: +61 3 9214 8504 | E: jordangardner at swin.edu.au CRICOS number 00111D I respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Swinburne?s campuses are located. I also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait nations across Australia, their Elders, Ancestors, cultures and heritage [cid:2aa40235-ba8e-4795-8552-92d2c3dfc74f]Proud supporter of the WATTLE Women in Leadership Program ________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: pastedImagebase640.png Type: image/png Size: 6207 bytes Desc: pastedImagebase640.png URL: From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Wed Dec 11 08:54:17 2019 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 21:54:17 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Four-year postdoctoral research role at Curtin/ICRAR Message-ID: <37C8BE4B-DF09-463C-9C3F-2C0AAA9C152B@sydney.edu.au> Dear Colleagues, Applications are invited for a four-year postdoctoral research position at ALA/B, to work on the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array -- eXtended (GLEAM-X) survey. The research position will be based at the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research. Possible areas of study include: radio galaxies, galaxy clusters, supernova remnants, HII regions, transients and variables, as well as investigations of the ionosphere above the future SKA_LOW site. Applications close 18th January 2020. More details about the role and application process are available on the AAS job register: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/BkuQC5QZ29FBkQnzczawvC?domain=jobregister.aas.org Please bring this job advertisement to the attention of suitable candidates. Thanks, Natasha -- Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker ARC Future Fellow GaLactic and Extragalactic MWA Survey Scientist ICRAR / Curtin University Telephone: (+61) 8 9266 9178 Mobile: (+61) 4 2619 2677 Twitter: @ColourfulCosmos Skype: nhurleywalker Email: nhw at icrar.org ICRAR: Discovering the hidden Universe through radio astronomy Web: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/cagQC6X13Rt5LA3gT6vl3p?domain=icrar.org ICRAR's eNewsletter: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/RliKC71ZgLtDGxP0HB1iEj?domain=icrar.org ICRAR on Twitter: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/fm2iC81Zj6toNZJAIMnlQU?domain=twitter.com ICRAR on Facebook: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/8Du6C91ZkQtG4gZ6uPNAuz?domain=icrar.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From matt.owers at mq.edu.au Wed Dec 11 09:10:14 2019 From: matt.owers at mq.edu.au (Matt Owers) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 22:10:14 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Call for eRosita and Australian Collaboration Proposals Message-ID: Dear colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the renewed partnership between Australian-based astronomers, represented by Astronomy Australia Limited (AAL) and the German eROSITA Consortium (eROSITA_DE), which will provide exciting new opportunities for multi-wavelength astronomy projects across the southern sky. Following the relationship established by CAASTRO with eROSITA_DE, a new Memorandum of Understanding between AAL and eROSITA_DE has been signed, and that agreement covers all astronomers at Australian institutions. The list of participating Australian facilities and surveys is provided on the eROSITA Collaboration AAL webpage (https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/whrJC71ZgLtDGm59u8uyB3?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au), while basic information about eROSITA is available online on the eROSITA MPE webpage (https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/ak4nC81Zj6toNjVxt1imlt?domain=mpe.mpg.de). After the successful launch onboard the SRG satellite on July 13, 2019, eROSITA has completed its Calibration and Performance Verification observations on December 8, and has now entered the all-sky survey phase. The CalPV data are being analysed now, and will be released to the public at the end of 2020 (TBC). A current status and planned eROSITA observations can also be found on the eROSITA Collaboration AAL webpage. Given all the above developments, we are now opening a new call for proposals for joint eROSITA_DE/Australia projects. The proposal submission will be open until 28 January 2020, 24:00 UTC. How to apply Proposals should be submitted on the template attached and should be sent to the eRosita_DE/Australian Collaboration Technical Secretary, Dr Lucyna Kedziora-Chudczer via email (lucyna.chudczer at astronomyaustralia.org.au). In the template please use the suggested filename structure, including the name of the most relevant Science Working Group (), the names of the two co-PIs and a version number (). The collaborative science projects will: * require the use of products associated with both the eROSITA_DE survey and Australian surveys/facilities. * involve at least one member from each of the eROSITA_DE survey and an Australian Institution * not be in conflict with existing eROSITA_DE or Australian projects * (optionally) allow participation by undergraduate and postgraduate students * adhere to the existing policies for the individual facilities involved (e.g. proprietary periods, data access, survey teams, observing time, publications). We strongly encourage potential proposers to get in touch with their corresponding partners early on. If you are interested in using eROSITA and Australian facilities for your research, but do not know who to contact specifically, please do not hesitate to ask the contact persons listed below. The eROSITA Collaboration AAL webpage also includes a list of eROSITA_DE contacts: PI, Project Scientist and Chairs of Science Working Groups. We remind you that, according to the eROSITA_DE Policy, each proposal should be approved by the eROSITA_DE Science Working Group before submission. Proposal Submission Outcomes The process of proposal assessment is described in the MoU and the details can be found on the Australian/eROSITA_DE Projects website (https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/G_ahC91ZkQtG4myPi3bRx-?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au). All proposals selected to become the eROSITA/Australian Collaborative Projects will be listed on the AAL (eROSITA) webpage and all PIs will be informed by email about the outcome of their submissions. The AAL/eROSITA Management Committee will monitor progress of approved projects according with the MoU agreement. We look forward to hearing your ideas, and to seeing new discoveries emerge from this partnership. If you have any questions on this exciting opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact me (matt.owers at mq.edu.au) or AAL (Dr Lucyna Chudczer, Program Manager, 02 9372 4842, lucyna.chudczer at astronomyaustralia.org.au). Best regards, Matt Owers Matt Owers eROSITA Australian Science Lead Senior Lecturer Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University ph: +61 2 9850 8910 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: eROAAL_WGname_Lastname1_Lastname2_vN.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 18127 bytes Desc: eROAAL_WGname_Lastname1_Lastname2_vN.docx URL: From willem.vanstraten at aut.ac.nz Wed Dec 11 14:07:38 2019 From: willem.vanstraten at aut.ac.nz (Willem van Straten) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:07:38 +1300 Subject: [ASA] NZ Radio Astronomy School and Computing for SKA Colloquium 2020 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, Registration is now open for two events, the NZ Radio Astronomy School and Computing for SKA Colloquium 2020, to be hosted at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) from 10 to 14 February 2020. The three-day NZ Radio Astronomy School (10 to 12 Feb) is pitched at an introductory level, suitable for advanced undergraduate students, post-graduate students, and professionals with limited experience in radio astronomy. The first day of activities will take place at AUT?s Warkworth Radio Astronomical Observatory. Please advertise this opportunity to your students and any other potentially interested colleagues. The two-day Computing for SKA Colloquium (13 and 14 Feb) brings together industry and academics involved in the design phase of computer systems for the SKA, and will include presentations and discussions around the project?s transition towards construction. The meeting web site provides more information about the meeting, including registration instructions, a draft programme and list of presenters; this information will be updated periodically. Kind regards, Willem van Straten and Sergei Gulyaev on behalf of the Local Organising Committee -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From michael.brown at monash.edu Wed Dec 11 20:37:35 2019 From: michael.brown at monash.edu (Michael Brown) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2019 20:37:35 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Helping Lecturers Help the World: A Workshop on Teaching Climate Change (Thursday). Message-ID: <9B534217-A22A-4473-9D3B-3598BA2008E5@monash.edu> Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) will be giving a workshop and lecture via Monash University on Thursday on how scientists can introduce and discuss climate change in their teaching and outreach. Travis is an observational astronomer and one of the authors of the Astro2020 white paper, Embedding Climate Change Engagement in Astronomy Education and Research . Abstracts for the workshop and lecture follow this email. While Travis originally expected to give both the workshop and lecture in person, he has been unable to travel as planned and will deliver both the workshop and lecture remotely. For the workshop attendees will need to be in the PACE studios at the Monash Clayton campus, but anyone can view the streamed lecture via the Zoom details below. Given interest by ASA members across Australia, an online only version of the workshop is planned for early 2020. The workshop will take place in 10:30am-12:30pm Thursday 12 December at the PACE Studios in the School of Physics & Astronomy, Ground Floor, 10 College Walk, Monash University Clayton. You can still register for the (free) workshop via EventBrite . The lecture will take place 2:00pm-3:00pm Thursday 12 December in Lecture Theatre S9, 16 Rainforest Walk, Monash University Clayton. To view the lecture via Zoom, please use https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/SXxPCGvmB5ivr138spYVXu?domain=monash.zoom.us or the details provided below. If you have any queries about the workshop or lecture, please contact Michael Brown (Michael.Brown at monash.edu ). Sincerely, Michael. Helping Lecturers Help the World: A Workshop on Teaching Climate Change Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) PACE Studios, School of Physics & Astronomy, Ground Floor, 10 College Walk, Monash University Clayton 10:30am-12:30pm Thursday 12 December The purpose of this workshop is to improve the ability of scientists from a range of disciplines to engage the topic of climate change. This includes teaching it in introductory science subjects (e.g. ?Astro 101?) and discussing it with the public. Climate change is a critically important topic and many scientists are well positioned to make a difference. For example, astronomers know about planets and their atmospheres, while biologists understand the impact of climate on ecosystems. First year classes are an effective way to teach climate change because these classes reach a large number of students, cover related topics and the relevant lecturers are often engaged in public outreach (e.g., through presentations in schools and media). Climate change is a difficult topic to teach because it spans a wide range of subject areas, from physics to psychology. It is also a controversial topic, meaning that simply knowing the science content is not enough to effectively teach it. The purpose of our workshop is therefore to introduce scientists to: (1) resources that will improve their science content knowledge about climate change, (2) effective interactive and inclusive methods for teaching the topic in introductory classes, and (3) established strategies for engaging the public. Helping Scientists Help the World: How to Talk About Climate Change Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) Lecture Theatre S9, 17 Rainforest Walk, Monash University Clayton 2:00pm-3:00pm Thursday 12 December https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/SXxPCGvmB5ivr138spYVXu?domain=monash.zoom.us Why should scientists, regardless of their discipline, teach and talk about climate change? We can all offer an important perspective. For example, astronomers know about planets and their atmospheres, while biologists understand the impact of climate on ecosystems. Introductory science classes are an effective way to teach climate change because these classes reach a large number of students and cover related topics. Overall scientists are highly trusted and understand key aspects of the science, although their climate science colleagues are often attacked by sections of the media and politicians. But, as we all know, climate change is highly controversial topic, meaning that simply knowing the science content is not enough to effectively teach it. We therefore need to approach climate science communication differently than they do the other topics we teach. This talk will present strategies that have been found to be effective in talking about what is perhaps the most important topic we teach. Zoom Details for Helping Scientists Help the World: How to Talk About Climate Change Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to start or join. https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/SXxPCGvmB5ivr138spYVXu?domain=monash.zoom.us Or, go to https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/xuHuCJyp0qhNkq9nCLhfDf?domain=monash.zoom.us and enter meeting ID: 712 118 697 Join from a dial-in phone: Dial: +61 3 99059666 (+61 3 9905 ZOOM) or +61 2 8015 2088 Toll-free dial: 877 369 0926 (US/Canada only) Meeting ID: 712 118 697 International numbers available: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/CoTxCK1qJZtVQ271hpaM3W?domain=monash.zoom.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sara.hughes at science.org.au Thu Dec 12 11:28:13 2019 From: sara.hughes at science.org.au (Sara Hughes) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 00:28:13 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Astronomy Mid-Term Review Media Assets Request Message-ID: Dear ASA Members, The National Committee for Astronomy (NCA) is currently preparing a mid-term review of the 2016-2025 Decadal Plan for Australian Astronomy. For more information on this please follow this link. The NCA is seeking images to include in the review document. In particular, we are looking to include images that show Australian astronomers doing Australian astronomy and would like to source these from the ASA community. Your contributions would be very welcome and much appreciated. The images will need to be publication-quality, with a short description, a credit line and information of the status of permission from the owner of the image. For some inspiration, the images can highlight Australian astronomy: telescopes, instrumentation, computing/data, astrophysics, people, industry engagement, education and training. Please upload images along with the necessary information to this page by the end of February 2020. We look forward to viewing your submissions. Yours Scientifically, Sara Hughes. [cid:image001.jpg at 01D5A508.5F6825C0] Sara Hughes Administration and Engagement Officer | International Programs and Awards (Part-time) Australian Academy of Science Ian Potter House, 9 Gordon Street, Acton ACT 2601 | GPO Box 783, Canberra ACT 2601 T (02) 6201 9400 F (02) 6201 9494 E sara.hughes at science.org.au www.science.org.au [cid:image002.jpg at 01D5A508.5F6825C0] [cid:image003.jpg at 01D5A508.5F6825C0] The Australian Academy of Science acknowledges and pays respect to the traditional owners of the land on which the Academy is located,the Ngunnawal people, and to their elders, past and present [cid:image004.png at 01D5A508.5F6825C0] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3678 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 788 bytes Desc: image002.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 813 bytes Desc: image003.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.png Type: image/png Size: 28977 bytes Desc: image004.png URL: From Cathryn.Trott at curtin.edu.au Fri Dec 13 13:36:48 2019 From: Cathryn.Trott at curtin.edu.au (Cathryn Trott) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 02:36:48 +0000 Subject: [ASA] ASA Sustainability Working Group - call for Expressions of Interest Message-ID: Dear ASA Members, Over the past few months, ASA Council has been discussing Australian astronomy's carbon emissions, and explored options to measure, track and reduce our footprint internally within Council, and externally in the broader astronomical community through ASA's activities. This discussion has been prompted by concerns raised with Council from members of the community, and by the discussions within the US and Canadian astronomical Decadal Plans, and activities within Centres of Excellence and the Australian Astronomy Mid-Term Review. At its November meeting, the ASA Council decided to create a Sustainability Working Group, initially Chaired by the ASA President, with a membership formed from interested parties within the community. The ASA Council sees a national role for the Society to provide leadership in this area, and create a forum for the membership to drive initiatives. This is a broad call for expressions of interest to join this Working Group. Its remit will broadly be to discuss and facilitate a reduction in carbon impact for professional Australian astronomy. The specific Terms of Reference for the group will be discussed during its first meeting, which I plan to convene in early February 2020. Note that ASA membership is not a requirement for joining the WG, however activity in, and association with, professional Australian astronomy will be expected. If you are interested in joining this discussion, please contact me via email before Friday January 17, 2020, and provide a short statement outlining your primary reasons for becoming involved. We are seeking people who are willing to contribute their time to make a genuine impact. Kind regards, Cathryn _______________________________________________________ Cathryn Trott Associate Professor ARC Future Fellow President, Astronomical Society of Australia ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D) International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research Curtin University Bentley WA, Australia cathryn.trott at curtin.edu.au -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Sun Dec 15 16:59:18 2019 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2019 05:59:18 +0000 Subject: [ASA] GMTO Newsletter - December 2019 Message-ID: [https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/LgneC2xZYvCMY0MLinyHbt?domain=files.constantcontact.com] GMTO Newsletter - December 2019 Welcome / GMTO?s Year in Review The Giant Magellan Telescope project has had a very productive year. Early in the year, excavation of the foundations for the telescope?s massive pier and enclosure was completed. Work took just six months during which 469 dump truck loads of soil and rock were transported from the summit to a storage location on site. For the rest of the year, work occurred to upgrade the water and electrical systems, and this is now nearing completion. In May, the Project completed a major external review of its technical and financial plans and schedule. The results of the review were very positive with the review committee expressing the opinion that the plan was realistic and that the current team can deliver GMT. University of Arizona?s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab made excellent progress with the GMT mirrors. Mirror #2 was completed and shipped from the Mirror Lab to storage near Tucson Airport in July, joining Mirror #1, which was completed in 2017. Mirror #3 is undergoing front-surface fine grinding and Mirror #5 is undergoing rear-surface fine grinding. Finally, as you can read below, the Project announced the signing of the contract for the telescope structure (also called the ?mount?). After a two-year search, MT Mechatronics and Ingersoll Machine Tools were selected to complete the design and then manufacture the mount, shipping it to the GMT site in Chile in 2025. We look forward to sharing our progress with you in 2020 and I hope to see many of you at the American Astronomical Society meeting in January. ?Dr. James Fanson, Project Manager Read the newsletter here Giant Magellan Telescope signs contract for telescope structure In late October, GMTO announced the signing of the contract with German company MT Mechatronics and Illinois-based Ingersoll Machine Tools to design, build and install the GMT?s telescope structure. The structure alone will weigh 1,800 tons and will hold the GMT?s seven giant mirrors, the scientific instruments, and the secondary mirrors, bringing its total weight to 2,100 tons. This entire mass will float on a film of oil just 50 microns thick, being supported by a number of precisely machined hydrostatic bearings. Read more [https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/f4UzC3Q8Z2FnkWnjfqbx_W?domain=files.constantcontact.com] [https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/1M9MC4QZ1RFXVRXZsBmeXt?domain=files.constantcontact.com] 7th Annual GMT Community Science Meeting GMTO held its 7th Annual Community Science Meeting on ?The Cosmic Baryon Cycle? on September 19-21 in Carlsbad, California. The ?baryon cycle? refers to the continuous cycling of gas into galaxies under the forces of gravity and out again under due to supernova explosions, jets from accreting objects, and other effects. This cycling occurs at all stages of galaxy evolution throughout the history of the universe, governs the rate at which galaxies can form stars, and influences everything about their appearance. Read more [https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/O6TwC5QZ29FBJwByI2QnOs?domain=files.constantcontact.com] Patrick McCarthy appointed Director of NSF?s OIR Lab On October 1, the GMTO?s Vice President Patrick McCarthy transitioned to the prestigious role of Director at the newly formed National Science Foundation?s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory. Read more [https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/bUAzC6X13Rt5NZ5RtxkVWs?domain=files.constantcontact.com] Upcoming American Astronomical Society Meeting The Giant Magellan Telescope project will participate in the 235th American Astronomical Society Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii in January as part of the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP). The US-ELTP is a partnership among GMT, the Thirty Meter Telescope, and NSF?s National Optical-Infrared Astronomical Research Laboratory. The US-ELTP will have a booth in the Exhibit Hall and will be holding two community meetings. For those attending the AAS, please join us in room 306AB on Sunday, January 5 at 7:30 pm for a social Open House, and again on Tuesday, January 7 at 10:00 am for presentations on the program, the observatories, and the science. Read more [https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/MQdOC71ZgLtDgnDriRHRUJ?domain=files.constantcontact.com] Mobile Astronomy Lab on the road in Chile The first six months of operations of the Chilean Mobile Astronomy Lab, a collaborative project funded by GMTO, EcoScience Foundation, the Embassy of the United States in Chile and Kavli Foundation, have been a great success. Read more Connect with us [Facebook] ? [Twitter] ? [Instagram] ? [LinkedIn] ? GMTO | 465 N. Halstead St., Pasadena, CA 91107 Unsubscribe john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by info at gmto.org in collaboration with [Trusted Email from Constant Contact - Try it FREE today.] Try email marketing for free today! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Sun Dec 15 17:24:18 2019 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2019 06:24:18 +0000 Subject: [ASA] PASA EDITORIAL BOARD - Call for Applications Message-ID: ============================================ PASA EDITORIAL BOARD - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS ============================================ Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA) is an ISI-listed, fully-refereed journal for new and significant research in astronomy and astrophysics. PASA seeks a suitably qualified astronomer to join its Editorial Board for three-year terms, beginning February 2020. Applications can be made by sending a statement of strengths and suitability and a brief CV to the Chair of the PASA Editorial Board, Prof. Melanie Johnston-Hollitt (Melanie.Johnston-Hollitt at curtin.edu.au) with copies to incoming EiC (Stanislav.Shabala at utas.edu.au) by 13th January 2020. About the Journal ------------------ PASA publishes research papers, review papers and special series on topical issues, making use of expert international reviewers and an experienced Editorial Board. As an electronic-only journal, PASA publishes paper by paper, ensuring a rapid publication rate. There are no pages charges. PASA's Editorial Board approve a certain number of papers per year to be made available without a paywall or subscription to the journal. All papers are indexed by the NASA ADS database; the ISI impact factor for PASA is currently 4.878 which places the journal in the top quartile of international astronomical journals. PASA is published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA). The PASA Editorial Board ------------------------ PASA maintains an Editorial Board of seven members (currently chaired by Professor Melanie Johnston-Hollitt until Feb 1 2020 when Dr Stas Shabala will take over). The main duties of the Editorial Board are to select referees for submitted papers, to make final decisions based on those reports, to solicit papers for submission, and to be an advocate for the Journal. Detailed duties are outlined below. There is currently a vacancy on the Editorial Board, which we are seeking to fill. Appointment to the Editorial Board is for a period of three years. An honorarium is paid annually, currently at the level of AU$3000 per year (pro rata). Members of the Editorial Board are selected on the basis of their standing in the community, the breadth of their knowledge, and their specific areas of expertise. Applications are sought from candidates with expertise in any areas of astrophysics. Interested candidates should send a statement of their suitability for the position, along with a brief CV, to Melanie Johnston-Hollitt (Melanie.Johnston-Hollitt at curtin.edu.au) with a copy to Stas (Stanislav.Shabala at utas.edu.au) by 13th January 2020. A decision on the appointment will be made by the ASA Council shortly following this closing date. Note that ASA Council members may apply, but if selected are not eligible to receive an honorarium. PASA Editorial Board Responsibilities ------------------------------------- Members of the Editorial Board of PASA are appointed by the ASA Council. The ASA also appoints a Chair from among the seven Editorial Board members. The Editorial Board is responsible for the overall scientific success of the journal in the international astronomical community. Measures of success include number and quality of submissions, rejection rate, citations and impact factor, and timeliness of peer review. Individual Editorial Board members contribute to this by: 1) Attracting submissions of quality research papers to the journal. 2) Organising peer review of submitted manuscripts in a timely fashion, using Cambridge University Press' electronic submission and peer review system. Key components of this process are: a) Assessing a manuscript's suitability for review, including identification of possible cases of plagiarism using the results of automated plagiarism-checking software provided by the publisher. b) Selection of suitable reviewers, to be undertaken within 5 days of receipt of a manuscript. c) Delivery of a recommendation for publication/revision/rejection based on reviews, to be completed within 5 days of receipt of a review. 3) Other duties and responsibilities of Editorial Board members are to: a) Act fairly, courteously, and without personal bias in all dealings with authors and reviewers. b) Immediately declare to the Chair of the Editorial Board any personal involvement or potential conflict of interest that may arise for any manuscript or in any component of the review process. c) Be a public advocate for the Journal, including the identification of at least one "special issue" or topical series of articles per year. d) Enhance the standards and scope of the Journal. e) Ensure that refereeing guidelines are adhered to and comprehensively considered by referees f) Provide strategic advice to the ASA, to the Chair of the Editorial Board and to the publisher on current directions in relevant research disciplines that can be used to the benefit of the Journal, its subscribers and its readers. To this end, the Editorial Board meets quarterly by teleconference. Professor Melanie Johnston-Hollitt BSc (Hons - Physics), BSc (Math. & Comp. Sci.), PhD Director, Murchison Widefield Array | Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy Professor | International Centre of Radio Astronomy Editor-in-Chief, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia Curtin University Tel | +61 8 9266 9104 Email | Melanie.Johnston-Hollitt at curtin.edu.au -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: