International Astronomical Union Meets in Vienna for 30th General Assembly

IAU to host 30th General Assembly, having held one every 3 years since 1919 to advance scientific research, at Austria Center Vienna August 20-31. Over 3000 participants from 89 countries are expected to participate in this 2-week program. The Assembly is organized by Universität Wien, Austrian Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics (ÖGA2), and Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). The event is set to open with a special session featuring Andrea Ghez of UCLA and Frank Eisenhauer of Max Planck Institute discussing general relativity near and around the Galactic Center black hole. Heino Falcke of Radboud University to present on the Jet-Disk Model for the Galactic Center. Focus Meeting 14 on global astronomy outreach will include a poster by ILOA on Astronomy from the Moon. In other sessions, Xuelei Chen and Yan Su of National Astronomical Observatories of China to present posters on low frequency radio astronomy from Lunar orbit interferometer and from Chang’e-4 Lunar lander, respectively. Universität Wien Institute for Astrophysics Director Bodo Ziegler is co-organizing a mini-symposium on Build-Up of Galaxy Clusters. Other session topics include light pollution (including documentary screening), gravitational waves, galaxy evolution, and Hubble Space Telescope. Limited seating Women in Astronomy segments advocates advancement of women in science, while Inspiring Stars session scheduled to present inaugural event for a world exhibition promoting inclusive initiatives. (Image Credits: UCLA, MPE, ASTRON, ESA, NASA; Pictured: Andrea Ghez, Frank Eisenhauer, Heino Falcke)

MONDAY

Aug 20 — Voyager 2, Interstellar Space: NASA spacecraft begins 42nd year in space today, launched Aug 20, 1977 – seventeen days before Voyager 1; expected to send data to Earth until ~2025 when power may run out.

Aug 20-22 — Space Telescope Science Institute, ESA, NASA, CSA, Vienna, Austria: Meeting: James Webb Space Telescope – Launch, Commissioning, and Cycle 1 Science.

Aug 20-22 — Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos NM: To 2020 and Beyond: Radionuclide Astronomy workshop; to help determine the potential science goals in radionuclide astronomy for next-generation X-ray and gamma-ray missions.

Aug 20-31 — International Astronomical Union (IAU), Vienna, Austria: 30th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union; meets every 3 years to advance professional research and education in astronomy.

Aug 20-31 — International Astronomical Union, Vienna, Austria: Coordinated Symposiums: Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars – A Continuing Challenge through Cosmic Time; Dwarf Galaxies – From the Deep Universe to the Present; Origins – From the Protosun to the First Steps of Life; High-mass X-ray Binaries – Illuminating the Passage from Massive Binaries to Merging Compact Objects; 21st Century Astrometry – Crossing the Dark and Habitable Frontiers; Under One Sky – The IAU Centenary Symposium.

Aug 20-31 — Rencontres du Vietnam, International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education, Institute For Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Education, Quy Nhon, Vietnam: 14th Rencontres du Vietnam: The 24th Vietnam School of Physics (VSOP-24).

Aug 20 — Moon: 2.1° N of Saturn, 00:00.

Aug 20 — Mercury: 5.4° SE of Beehive Cluster, 17:00.

Aug 20 — Aten Asteroid 2017 FR63: Near-Earth Flyby (0.099 AU)

Arianespace, ESA to Launch Aeolus First Daily Global Wind Profile Satellite Aug 21

Arianespace 5th launch of 2018 will be 12th overall Vega flight, designated VV12, from Kourou French Guiana Aug 21 set to deploy ADM-Aeolus satellite. ADM-Aeolus, named after Greek mythology appointed “keeper of the winds”, will be the first satellite to deliver daily global wind profiles in an inaugural wind mission and 4th Earth Explorer mission within ESA Living Planet Programme, collecting ~120 profiles per hour. Liftoff to satellite separation is expected at ~55 minutes before ADM-Aeolus reaches Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of ~320 km for a designed 3-year operational life. The satellite is a single, real-time doppler wind LIDAR (light and radar) termed Aladin, Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument, a laser system which accurately measures global wind profiles from space by sending ultraviolet laser pulses through the lowermost 30 km of atmosphere and collecting backscattered light with a 1.5-meter telescope. Data from ADM-Aeolus could enhance understanding and forecasting of weather and climate change research. The 4.6-meter tall satellite comprised of platform, propellant, and payload has a total dry mass of 1,100-kg. This launch could become 50th mission and 8th Earth observation lofted by Arianespace for ESA. Vega stands at ~30-meters tall and has a mass of 137 metric tons. With another 9 upcoming Vega and Vega C launches planned thus far, one-third are scheduled for ESA missions. (Image Credits: Arianespace, ESA)

Continued from…

Jul 8 – Oct 9 — NAOC, National Aquatic Center “Water Cube”, Beijing, China: Lunar Exploration Technology Exhibition featuring 10-meter diameter Moon, lunar imagery, ‘moonlight’ and surround sound composition.

Jul 15 – Aug 23 — Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, NASA, Dubai, UAE: NASA Space and Rocketry Summer Camp; at Lapita Hotel Ballroom, Dubai Parks and Resorts.

Jun 25 – Aug 24 — International Space University, ESA, Netherlands Space Office, Delft University of Technology, Leiden University, Noordwijk, The Netherlands: ISU 31st Space Studies Program (SSP 2018).

Aug 19-23 — American Astronautical Society, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Snowbird UT: AAS / AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference.

Aug 19-24 — U. S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville AL: 2018 Space Camp; for ages 9-11.

TUESDAY

Aug 21 — Arianespace, Launch Vega / Aeolus, Kourou, French Guiana: Designated VV12, Arianespace Vega Rocket to launch ESA satellite Aeolus, first of its kind to deliver global wind profiles on daily basis.

Aug 21 — Newcastle Space Frontier Society Chapter of National Space Society of Australia and National Space Society, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia: Monthly meeting of Newcastle Space Frontier Society; at Joy Cummings Community Centre, 19:30.