PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 11, Number 54 (December 31, 2017) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Elisabeth Adams, Karen Stockstill-Cahill Email: pen_editor@psi.edu HAPPY NEW YEAR! o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Tenured Full Professor Position in Astrobiology 2. Outreach Coordinator Positions Open 3. IAU General Assembly Mini-Conference - Recent Advances in Planetary Astronomy 4. 2018 AOGS Session PS10 - On the Dwarf Planet Ceres After Dawn 5. PDS Data Release 45 From Mars Exploration Rover 6. Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets 2018 7. 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 TENURED FULL PROFESSOR POSITION IN ASTROBIOLOGY The Institute for Planetary Materials (IPM), Okayama University, Misasa, Japan, invites applications for a Tenured Full Professor position in the area of Astrobiology. IPM is a world-class institute with the aim of advancing research and education on the origin, evolution and dynamics of the Earth and planets. The Institute provides leadership in the fields of analytical planetary chemistry and experimental geophysics, hosting comprehensive, state-of-the-art analytical systems (including multiple element/isotope analysis and multiple dating techniques at various scales) and a range of high-pressure and high-temperature apparatus and spectroscopic facilities. Further information about the faculty, research and facilities of the Institute can be found at the IPM website: http://www.misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp The full announcement for this position is available at: http://www.misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/announcement/?eid=01502 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 OUTREACH COORDINATOR POSITIONS OPEN The Solar System Exploration Division (SSED) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) located in Greenbelt, Maryland has positions open for Outreach Coordinator. The Solar System Exploration Division conducts theoretical and experimental research to explore the solar system and understand the formation and evolution of planetary systems. Laboratories within the Division investigate areas as diverse as astrochemistry, planetary atmospheres, extrasolar planetary systems, planetary geodynamics, space geodesy, and comparative planetary studies. For more information about the duties of this position and minimum requirements or to apply please see: https://sesda.com/careers/ss089-science-writer-and-outreach-coordinator More Information about the SSED can be found at: http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/solarsystem Specific questions about the SSED and its outreach program can be directed to Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov or to Paul.R.Mahaffy@nasa.gov 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 IAU GENERAL ASSEMBLY MINI-CONFERENCE - RECENT ADVANCES IN PLANETARY ASTRONOMY We would like to announce a two-day mini-conference on recent advances on planetary astronomy. The conference is organized by the IAU Division F (Planetary Systems & Astrobiology) in conjunction with the 30th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union that will be held in August 2018 in Vienna. The purpose of this program is to bring together researchers from all fields of planetary astronomy (Solar system and extrasolar planets) to present their new findings in form of oral and poster presentations, and discuss the current state of research in our field. The website of the conference can be found at: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/planetsdays2018/ The mini-conference is held on August 24 & 27, 2018 during the IAU General Assembly. Registration is now open and abstracts are accepted from all fields of planetary astronomy for oral and poster presentations. The deadline for early registration discount is January 31. Participants in this workshop will receive admission to all scientific activities of the IAU General Assembly including the Focus Meeting 1 on asteroid families, IAU Symposium 345 on the origin of life and planetary systems, and a training school in Astrobiology held on August 17-18, 2018 by the University of Vienna. We look forward to seeing you in Vienna. Nader Haghighipour President of the IAU Division F 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 2018 AOGS SESSION PS10 - ON THE DWARF PLANET CERES AFTER DAWN Honolulu, Hawaii June 3-8, 2018 Abstract deadline: January 19 http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2018/ Since 2015, the Dawn spacecraft has orbited Ceres, the largest body in the asteroid belt, and has returned a wealth of data. This session aims to summarize and synthesize our current understanding of Ceres, and welcomes submissions that study Ceres through a variety of techniques, including Dawn and telescopic data analyses, modeling studies, analog studies, and laboratory investigations. Ceres is weakly differentiated into a rocky and comparatively dense interior and a more water-ice-rich outer layer. Water ice facilitates the formation of particular types of lobate flows and is likely located in some polar permanently shadowed craters. Phyllosilicates are homogeneously distributed across the surface, indicating global scale alteration, possibly in an ancient ocean. Organic materials have also been detected on the surface. Occator crater contains distinctly bright regions, called faculae, which are proposed to be the solid residues of brines sourced in the subsurface. Ahuna Mons is a ~4 km high edifice interpreted as a recently formed viscous cryovolcanic dome. We look forward to seeing you in Honolulu! Jennifer Scully Wing-Huen Ip Jian-Yang Li Norbert Schorghofer 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 PDS DATA RELEASE 45 FROM MARS EXPLORATION ROVER The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce Release 54 of Mars Exploration Rover data. This release includes data primarily from Sols 4681 through 4770, rover Opportunity (MER1/B), instruments: APXS Atmospheric Opacity HAZCAM MI NAVCAM PANCAM RAT Rover Motion Counter SPICE There is no Radio Science data in this release, and no more Mini-TES or Moessbauer data is expected. To access the above data, please visit the following link: https://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-20171221.shtml The following special services are provided for accessing MER data: MER Analyst's Notebook: http://an.rsl.wustl.edu/mer Planetary Image Atlas: https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search/mer-opportunity 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 MAGNETOSPHERES OF THE OUTER PLANETS 2018 The 2018 conference on Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets will be held at the University of Colorado, Boulder on July 9-13. The time is ripe to compare data from the last orbits of Cassini around Saturn with the polar orbits of Juno around Jupiter. And to keep thinking about those weird and wonderful magnetospheres of Uranus and Neptune. Information about the meeting is at: http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/mop/mop2018 The link for subscribing or unsubscribing to the MOP email distribution is at: https://lists.colorado.edu/sympa/info/mop_conference 7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html July 9-13, 2018 Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/mop/mop2018 Boulder, CO July 10-13, 2018 Astrochemistry: Past, Present and Future https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/events/2018/astrochem18/ Pasadena, CA August 20-31, 2018 International Astronomical Union General Assembly http://astronomy2018.univie.ac.at Vienna, Austria [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which your colleagues should be aware, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor@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, or * send a request to pen_editor@psi.edu * * To unsubscribe, send an email to pen_editor@psi.edu * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor@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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