PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 8, Number 29 (June 15, 2014) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Melissa Lane Co-Editors: Susan Benecchi, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. [NASA] PDS - Mars Exploration Rovers Data Release 40 2. Eighth International Conference on Mars - Program Now Available 3. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 4. Observing Campaign to Study Comet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring) 5. Input Requested for AGU Scientific Trends Survey 6. Enceladus: A Habitable World - Special Session at Fall 2014 AGU Meeting 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 [NASA] PDS - MARS EXPLORATION ROVERS DATA RELEASE 40 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce Release 40 of Mars Exploration Rover data. This release includes data primarily from Sols 3421 through 3510, rover Opportunity (MER1/B), instruments: APXS HAZCAM NAVCAM MI PANCAM RAT Rover Motion Counter SPICE There are no Mini-TES, Moessbauer, Radio Science, or Atmospheric Opacity data in this release. To access the above data, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-20140609.html The following special services are provided for accessing MER data: MER Analyst's Notebook: http://an.rsl.wustl.edu/mer Planetary Image Atlas: http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search/mer To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-Release.html All available PDS data may be found at: http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/data-search/ For further information, see the PDS Home Page: http://pds.nasa.gov/ 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 EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MARS - PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE Greetings Mars Community! Below is a link to the program for the Eighth International Conference on Mars. It maps out the exciting sequence of talks and events for all five days. There is no fee to attend the conference, but registration is strongly encouraged! It helps us properly welcome you by making sure that we have an accurate headcount for conference materials, refreshments, etc. The link to the registration form is also found below. For more information, please visit: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/8thmars2014/ 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 NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) provides opportunities for scientists and engineers to conduct research largely of their own choosing, yet compatible with the research opportunities posted on the NPP Web site. Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA's missions in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and space operations, and astrobiology. An example of one of the research opportunities in planetary science is: https://www3.orau.gov/NPDoc/Catalog/18421 Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply. Stipends start at $53,500 per year, with supplements for high cost-of- living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and $8,000 per year is provided for professional travel. Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1. The latest NPP Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1iUrK4I For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: nasapostdoc@orau.org 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 OBSERVING CAMPAIGN TO STUDY COMET 2013 A1 (SIDING SPRING) C/Siding Spring will fly within 135,000 km of Mars on 19 October 2014. Measurements leading to increased understanding of its orbit, nucleus size, density, strength, rotation rate, composition, coma and tail morphology, and evolution over time are highly encouraged, especially around Mars closest approach. These observations will also contribute to the studies of the interactions between the Martian atmosphere and cometary dust and volatiles, relevant to understanding the delivery of cometary water and organics to inner planets. The comet is best observed from the Southern hemisphere, and will appear brightest to Earth based observers in mid-September 2014 ([V_min] ~ 10). In order to facilitate the maximal observing of Siding Spring, we are holding a 1-day observers' workshop/telecon on 11 Aug 2014, and Mars fleet pre- encounter tag-up workshop/telecon on 19 Sept 2014. Everyone is welcome to attend and discuss their observing plans, needs, and results. We will also be supporting a post-encounter special session at the Fall 2014 AGU meeting in San Francisco. For more information about observing opportunities for Comet Siding Spring, please visit the CIOC Campaign webpage at: http://cometcampaign.org and the Mars Program Siding Spring webpage at: http://mars.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring 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 INPUT REQUESTED FOR AGU SCIENTIFIC TRENDS SURVEY Dear Colleagues: The American Geophysical Union is asking for input to their Scientific Trends Survey, from the broader scientific community, and indeed, beyond. Its purpose: to help identify recent and currently emerging trends for Earth and Space science. The full charge to the trends task force can be found at: http://sites.agu.org/leadership/committees/council-committees/ scientific-trends-task-force/ Please take a view minutes to visit the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AGUScientificTrends2014 The survey will close on or around this Friday, 20 June. Your opinions will be valued. Bill McKinnon, on behalf of the AGU Planetary Sciences section 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 ENCELADUS: A HABITABLE WORLD - SPECIAL SESSION AT FALL 2014 AGU MEETING Session Title: Enceladus: A Habitable World Session ID: #1492 Conveners: Carolyn Porco, Chris McKay Geysers of icy particles and vapor, with trace amounts of organic compounds, erupting from warm fractures and deriving from a salty, subsurface sea make the Saturnian moon Enceladus the most accessible extraterrestrial habitable zone in our solar system. In this special session, now in its 9th year, we continue our focus on those topics relating to the origin and state of the moon's geologically active south polar terrain (SPT). These include observational, theoretical and modeling investigations of the composition, state, and dynamics of Enceladus' jets and plume, its thermal and interior state and evolution, and the geomorphology of the SPT and similar provinces. We also welcome studies addressing future spaceflight missions and the moon's potential for biological activity. If you love Enceladus as much as we do, and you have new results that fit the topics above, and you're eager to share them with other Enceladus fans, please consider submitting an abstract to this special AGU session. The deadline for abstracts is August 6, 2014. Hope to see you in San Francisco! 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 November 12-14, 2014 2014 Conference on Big Data from Space (BiDS '14) http://congrexprojects.com/2014-events/BigDatafromSpace/introduction Frascati, Italy June 7-12, 2015 22nd ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programmes and Related Research http://pac.spaceflight.esa.int Tromsø, Norway [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which you think your colleagues should be aware, 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.php, or * send a request to pen_editor at psi.edu * * To unsubscribe, send an email to pen_editor at psi.edu * * 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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