PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 4, Number 43 (October 3, 2010) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Susan Benecchi Co-Editors: Melissa Lane, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Editorial: Courage and Conviction 2. 51 Women in Planetary Science 3. SOFIA Workshop during the 2010 DPS meeting 4. Student Opportunity: Nininger Meteorite Award 5. Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month 6. 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 EDITORIAL: COURAGE AND CONVICTION Mark V. Sykes, Ph.D., J.D. CEO and Director, Planetary Science Institute "Robert M. Nelson and 27 fellow Caltech scientists, engineers and administrators working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are risking their jobs and their personal financial well-being to fight for their right of privacy against unwarranted government intrusion. They are fighting for all of us, and they deserve our respect and support. On Tuesday, October 5, this battle moves to the United States Supreme Court. ... Nelson and all Caltech employees working at JPL were to be subjected to new background checks to determine their suitability for employment. Refusal to cooperate would mean termination. Unlike the usual criminal background and employment reference checks which Caltech employees undergo, a much broader net would be cast where landlords, neighbors, schools and any others could be asked open-ended questions to provide any information ... NASA's determination of whether these people are suitable for continued employment at JPL would include consideration of whether they have engaged in evils such as homosexuality, cohabitation, adultery, illegitimate children and mental, emotional, psychological, or psychiatric issues, among others." For the complete editorial, go to: http://planetarypolicy.org/nelson [Editor Note: The PEN welcomes editorials and commentaries related to planetary science, solar system exploration, how they are conducted, their politics, their funding, their management, and their future. Go to http://planetarynews.org/submission.html for full directions.] 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 51 WOMEN IN PLANETARY SCIENCE The "51 Women in Planetary Science" project is halfway to its goal of featuring 51 women working on NASA missions, publishing in the journals, and serving their community on NASA and NRC panels. In the interviews published on a public web site, each scientist discusses her unique career path and interests and reflects on advice for students or postdoctoral fellows interested in a career in planetary science. This project is part of the Women in Planetary Science e-mentoring initiative, created to bring woman scientist role models to students and early career scientists who may never have worked with a woman in the field, but who aspire to one day work for NASA or on missions to study the planets, the stars, and the incredible phenomena in our solar system. The interviews are published on a web site open to all, and everyone - male or female - is welcome to participate in this respectful atmosphere that celebrates our passions, our differences, and our commitment to furthering the understanding of our solar system and other planetary systems. Visit: http://womeninplanetaryscience.com to read the latest features and the archives; nominations of outstanding women to feature in this project or announcements of recent publications by women planetary scientists may be sent to susanniebur@nieburconsulting.com. 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 SOFIA WORKSHOP DURING THE 2010 DPS MEETING Monday October 4, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Pasadena Convention Center, Room 208 The status of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), including the aircraft, telescope, and science instruments, will be presented during this special workshop session, open to all DPS attendees. Opportunities to observe with SOFIA will be explained in detail. Community input is solicited with an aim toward making SOFIA as useful as possible for planetary science. If you have any questions, please contact the workshop organizer, Bill Reach, wreach@sofia.usra.edu http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/index.html 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4 STUDENT OPPORTUNITY: NININGER METEORITE AWARD The Center for Meteorite Studies at Arizona State University is pleased to announce the 2010 application opportunity for the Nininger Meteorite Award for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing research in meteoritical sciences. The Nininger Meteorite Award recognizes outstanding student achievement in the meteoritical sciences as embodied by an original research paper. Papers must cover original research conducted by the student and must have been written, submitted or published between November 13, 2009 and November 15, 2010. The 2010 Nininger Award application deadline is November 15, 2010. Applicants must be the first, but not sole, author of the paper and must be studying at an educational institution in the United States. The Nininger Award recipient receives $1000 and an engraved plaque commemorating the honor. Further information about the Nininger Award and paper submission instructions are located on the Center for Meteorite Studies website: http://meteorites.asu.edu/nininger Questions regarding the application or application process may be sent to: nininger@asu.edu 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5 PLANETARY GEOMORPHOLOGY IMAGE OF THE MONTH The October 'image of the month' is now available at the IAG's Planetary Geomorphology web page: http://www.psi.edu/pgwg/images/Oct10Image.html This Month's topic is on "Climbing and Falling Sand Dunes in Valles Marineris, Mars" Images and caption contributed by Matt Chojnacki, Devon Burr and Jeff Moersch, Earth and Planetary Sciences Department and Planetary Geosciences Institute, University of Tennessee Knoxville, USA Past images and captions are available at: http://www.psi.edu/pgwg/images/index.html Mary Bourke Coordinator of the IAG Working Group on Planetary Geomorphology 6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS November 10-11, 2010 Synchrotron radiation in Earth, Space & Planetary Science - Exploiting the UK's newest facility http://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/Events/EE_village_workshop.html Didcot, United Kingdom April 10-15, 2011 MEARIM-2, The Second Middle-East and Africa IAU Regional Meeting http://mearim2.saao.ac.za/ Cape Town, South Africa April 23-25, 2012 Facets of Professional Astronomy http://astro.u-strasbg.fr/~heck/fopa2012.htm Paris, France Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html [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. 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