PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 2, Number 62 (December 28, 2008)

PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org
Editor: Nic Richmond
Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Matt Balme
Email: pen_editor at psi.edu

o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o

1. Programs to Detect, Characterize, or Mitigate the Hazards of NEOs
2. New Planetary PhD Program and Web Site Launch at UCF in Orlando
3. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions

o---------------------------------------------------------------------o


1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

PROGRAMS TO DETECT, CHARACTERIZE, OR MITIGATE THE HAZARDS OF NEOS

The NRC's committee on the NEO hazard: detection and mitigation, is  
seeking input on possible programs to detect, characterize, or  
mitigate the hazards of NEOs.  Details are available at:

http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/ 
NEO_surveys_mitigation.html#P16_19

An LOI is requested by 30 January and submissions are due by 20 March.
Questions may be submitted to study director Dwayne Day, dday@nas.edu.


2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

NEW PLANETARY PHD PROGRAM AND WEB SITE LAUNCH AT UCF IN ORLANDO

The Planetary Sciences Group in the Department of Physics at the
University of Central Florida is pleased to announce a new PhD Track
in Planetary Sciences, effective Spring 2009.  The program balances
early participation in research with a broad academic program.
Applications received by 15 January 2009 will receive full
consideration for Fall 2009 financial support.  Learn more about the
program and UCF's growing center for planetary research at our new web
site:

http://planets.ucf.edu/

UCF planetary research includes comet and asteroid observation,
meteorite analysis, direct measurement of exoplanets, atmospheric
modeling, computational modeling of atmospheric impacts, solid impacts
studied in microgravity, laboratory astrophysics, and studies of
Saturn's rings and dust dynamics.


3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3

PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS

Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html

July 20-24, 2009
New Technologies for Probing the Diversity of Brown Dwarfs and 
Exoplanets
http://web.mac.com/triple_binary/BD/Welcome.html
Shanghai, China

[Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or
workshop that you think your colleagues should be aware of, please
send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.]


***********************************************************************
*
* The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly.
* Current and back issues are available at
*
* http://planetarynews.org
*
* To subscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.html
*
* To unsubscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_unsubscribe.html
*
* Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor at psi.edu.
* Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs
* for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job
* announcements. Go to the PEN website for submission directions. 
************************************************************************