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6-17
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Sub-Saharan Africa Astronomy Summer School - POSTPONED,
Entebbe, Uganda
The ongoing activities of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) telescope have accelerated the development of astronomy research on the African continent especially in the field of galactic studies. These activities are no longer concentrated in South Africa only, but have also spread to the Sub-Saharan African region. Furthermore, space missions such as NASA's Kepler and NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) have further enhanced the development of other astronomy research fields, mainly exoplanet and stellar physics exploration. The future of these research areas is expected to become even brighter with the magnificent observations expected from ESA's PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) mission planned to be launched in 2026. A number of African universities from the Sub-Saharan African region have embraced the open access data from these space missions and SKA telescopes, striving to make essential contributions to these research science fields, hence, aiding our understanding of the universe.
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in conjunction with the Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik (MPA), Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg(TLS), and Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) are organising a Sub-Saharan Africa Advanced Astronomy Summer School in Uganda focusing on three fields of scientific research, namely galaxies, extra-solar planet science, and stellar interior physics. The goal of the summer school is to invite experts to share the state-of-the-art techniques/methods currently employed in these scientific research areas. In addition, research areas such as exoplanet and stellar physics studies have strong synergies and therefore present opportunities for generating research ideas which cut across the two fields, thus creating avenues for networking and building substantial collaborations among researchers and students in these fields. Students and postdoc researchers will be given an opportunity to present their own research work in the form of posters.
The summer school is open to 30 participants, i.e., mainly MSc./PhD students, and early career postdoc researchers in physics, astronomy or astrophysics from the Sub-Saharan African region. BSc. students in their final year with prospects of pursuing careers in physics, astronomy or astrophysics will be considered. The summer school will be held in Uganda from September 6th - 17th, 2021.
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9
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Lunar Surface Science Workshop ,
Virtual Session 11: Lunar Science Accomplished with a Robotic Arm
As NASA enters the next phase of lunar exploration with enhanced capabilities, community input is required to help identify and prioritize relevant science that may be accomplished with a robotic arm. Several opportunities to outfit rovers and landers with arms are in the initial planning phases; e.g., the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) landers/rovers/hoppers, and international contributions. Thus, NASA is hosting a two-part LSSW session on September 9 and September 30, 2021, outlining these opportunities, providing relevant background and scope, and allowing for open dialog with the community.
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9
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LPI Seminar: Characterization of spatially resolved organic phases in martian meteorites and on Mars (Sandra Siljestrom, Research Institutes of Sweden),
Virtual
Organic molecules are important building blocks and signatures of life. Their presence on the surface of Mars was recently confirmed by SAM (Sample analysis on Mars) on the Curiosity rover [1]. The origin of the SAM organic molecules, which is probably part of a large organic macromolecular, though uncharacterized, carbon structure, is unknown [1]. Possible sources include infall from space to the surface of Mars, abiotic origin on Mars and biogenic origin [1]. Martian meteorites, the only samples of Mars we have available on Earth, provide some information on the origin of carbon phases and organic molecules on Mars. These meteorites contain both reduced and oxidized carbon in the form of organic carbon and carbonates [2].
As part of a larger research effort into the organic geochemistry of Martian meteorites, we analysed fresh fracture surfaces of small grains of martian meteorites including Tissint, Nakhla and NWA7034 using in-situ techniques time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (SEM)/Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Raman spectroscopy. The combined instruments provided spatially resolved molecular, elemental and mineral information without being destructive to sample beyond possible surface alteration which provided the opportunity to correlate this data set with other datasets taken. We are able to show that organic diverse phases are spatially resolved to specific mineral phases within the different meteorites providing clues to the origin, of these organic phases [3]. Additionally, in the process of investigating these samples we also developed new sample analysis protocols that can potentially be used on the future returned samples which currently is being collected by the Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater. These analyses, combined with the wealth of other techniques used as part of this study, provide guidance on how to interpret results collected by the rover on rocks in Jezero.
The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021 where it is currently investigating the local geology with different instruments including spatially resolved ones such as SHERLOC and PIXL. The first rock core was recently successfully collected by Perseverance from the crater floor of Jezero. As a returned sample scientist on the Mars 2020 team, I provide expertise on which sample to collect especially ones that might contain organic matter. Jezero crater appears to contain several different geological units that have high potential for preserving organic matter such as the delta and the marginal carbonates. However, to really understand the Martian organic carbon cycle also other samples such as igneous and regolith samples need to be collected.
To R.S.V.P., https://bit.ly/3se5JVG.
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13-24
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Europlanet Science Congress 2021,
Virtual
The intention of the Europlanet Science Congress 2021 is to cover a broad area of science topics related to planetary science and planetary missions. The programme of the congress will contain oral and poster sessions, as well as workshops and panel discussions and provide with ample opportunities for interaction between the participants.
The Scientific Organizing Committee of the EPSC2021 invites all planetary scientists to participate in the congress, submit contributions to the topical sessions and share their research with their colleagues.
EPSC2021 is the second EPSC to be held as a virtual meeting. We believe that virtual meetings are likely to play an increasingly important role in supporting our community, widening participation from under-represented groups and at the same time addressing the global challenge of climate change. Building on the success and learning lessons from our first virtual meeting in 2020, EPSC2021 will have a hybrid format of live sessions and asynchronous scientific presentations. The ethos for EPSC2021 is to create a simple, flexible, and inclusive virtual meeting that provides multiple opportunities for interaction, scientific discussion, and networking.
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14-17
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NASA Astrobiology Graduate ConfereN/Ce (AbGradCon),
Virtual
- AbGradCon (Astrobiology Graduate Conference) provides a unique setting for astrobiologically-inclined graduate students and early career researchers to come together to share their research, to collaborate, and to network.
- AbGradCon 2021 will mark the 17th year of this conference-each time in a different place and organized by a different group of students and postdocs, but always with the original charter as a guide.
- AbGradCon 2021 will be the first virtual format meeting in its history.
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20
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TP4: Impact Processes in the Solar System,
Virtual
Impact processes shaped the Solar System, and modify planetary surfaces and small bodies until today. Impacts also have a technical application for Planetary Defence, exemplified by the joint ESA/NASA Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) collaboration. This session aims at understanding impact processes at all scales in terms of shock metamorphism, dynamical aspects, geochemical consequences, environmental effects and biotic response, and cratering chronology. Naturally, advancing our understanding of impact phenomena requires a multidisciplinary approach, which includes (but it is not limited to) observations of craters, strewn field or airbursts, numerical modelling, laboratory experiments, geologic and structural mapping, remote sensing, as well as petrographic and geochemical analysis of impact products.
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20-24
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Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy with Extremely Large Telescopes,
Oxford, UK
The forthcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescope (ELTs) will reach unprecedented spectroscopic sensitivity coupled with high angular resolution in the near infrared. This workshop will bring together the international astronomical community to explore the transformational science that the spectroscopic instrument suites of the ELTs (GMT, TMT and ELT) will achieve. High resolution simulations have played a key role in the development of the instrument science cases providing a quantifiable means to determine feasibility and to predict the scientific outcomes that can be achieved. By bringing together theoreticians, modelers and observers, with interests ranging from exoplanets to cosmology, the goals of the workshop are to: explore the spectroscopic capabilities of the first‐light instrument suite of the ELTs identifying synergies and complementarities between them; encourage development of ELT science cases including preparatory projects on existing telescopes; provide hands‐on experience using the HARMONI simulator (H-SIM); encouraging collaboration and transfer of expertise between the instrument teams and the wider community; and explore synergies with other facilities.
The meeting will set the stage for the community to plan and coordinate ELT science programmes and pre-cursor observations, making use of quantitative estimates of what the ELTs can achieve.
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23
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LPI Seminar: (Joseph O'Rourke, Arizona State University),
Virtual
To R.S.V.P., https://bit.ly/2VWO09o.
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30
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LPI Seminar: (Mark Fox-Powell, The Open University),
Virtual
To R.S.V.P., https://bit.ly/37JTzKA.
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