On January 1, 2019, the American space probe New Horizons flew over the Thule Ultima asteroid. Located far beyond the planets of the Solar System, it is the most distant object ever explored by a human-made spacecraft.

A few months before the flight, American, Senegalese and French astronomers gathered in Senegal to prepare this unprecedented meeting more than 6 billion kilometers from Earth. An exceptional NASA mission made in Africa, with the participation of the team members of the African Initiative for Planetary and Space Sciences, to make a success of the meeting with Ultima Thule.

The film shot during the NASA Mission to Senegal in August 2018, with the support of MESRI (Senegal), ASPA, CNES, IRD and Uranoscope de France, is available online at the following link: https://youtu.be/Ow3O4bjxRm8

Director: Yseult Berger
Production: leblob.fr 2019

 

Participate in the search for new impact craters thanks to the Vigie-Cratère participatory science program! This innovative platform, open to all, allows us to explore the relief of our planet to identify discrete or invisible circular structures on satellite imagery. This citizen science program, available in French and English, allows as many people as possible to learn more about impact processes and to help scientists better reconstruct the history of collisions with the Earth.

Continue reading “With “Vigie-Cratère”, become an impact crater hunter” →

This is the second announcement of the IAU symposium 356 on ‘Nuclear
Activity in Galaxies Across Cosmic Time’, to be held in Addis Ababa in
Ethiopia, from October 7 – 11, 2019. We apologise if you received this
information multiple times. Please take a note that deadline for
abstract submission is next Tuesday 30 of April.

This is only the third symposium to be held in Africa in the past 100
years of the IAU. Currently many African countries are putting huge
efforts in developing astronomy and space science for their long-term
socioeconomic benefits. Therefore, beside revising the physics behind
AGN, another important aim of the IAU 356 symposium is to contribute to
the development of astronomy in Ethiopia and Africa in general. Please
help us in achieving these aims, by coming to the meeting and sharing
your knowledge and experience, and by
forwarding this information in your research centres and within your
colleagues.

Many thanks in advance, and we are looking forward to host you in
Ethiopia.

Best wishes, and have a nice day,

Mirjana Mpovic
on behalf of organisers

=======================================================
Second announcement
=======================================================
IAU symposium 356:
Nuclear Activity in Galaxies Across Cosmic Time
http://iau356.essti.gov.et/
=======================================================
7 – 11 October 2019, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
=======================================================

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 30

———————–
SUMMARISED RATIONALE:
With this conference we would like to achieve two main goals. First, we
want to provide a general overview of recent findings and progress in
observations, simulations, and theory of AGN from the local universe up
to high redshifts. This includes the following questions:

1. What have we learnt from AGN multiwavelength studies and what can we
expect from future instruments such as eROSITA, JWST, Euclid, CTA, SKA,
E-ELT, Athena, etc.?

2. What is the current status of the unification model of AGN? What are
the components distinguishing type-1 and type-2 AGN?

3. What do we know about AGN host galaxies? What is the effect of AGN on
their host galaxy and how important is AGN feedback compared with
stellar feedback in the context of preserving (or not) SMBH scaling
relationships at low and high redshift?

4. What is the status of AGN theory and numerical simulations regarding
AGN triggering, including mergers and secular processes, AGN disks, AGN
outflows and the shutting off of AGN activity?

5. How well we understand the origin of jets and their impact on galaxy
evolution? What evidences do we have for AGN positive and negative
feedback across cosmic time? In what kind of environments AGN reside?

6. How precisely can we measure BH mass at different redshifts?

7. What are the properties of highest-redshift AGN? What do we know
about AGN evolution?
Secondly, we aim at strengthening the development of science in Ethiopia
and Africa and opening new space for collaborations between Africa and
other parts of the globe for the benefit of all.

———————–
KEY TOPICS
– Multiwavelength AGN surveys: past, present, and future
– AGN types and unification
– Variability
– Active black holes and their host galaxies
– Triggering, feedback and shutting off AGN activity
– Jets and environment
– Highest redshift AGN and AGN evolution

———————–
IMPORTANT DATES
– Abstract submission deadline: 30 April 2019
– Regular registration closed: 01 September 2019

———————–
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Students training, outreach activities, and teachers training will be
organised before, during, and after symposium, respectively, by
conference experts.

———————–
INVITED SPEAKERS
– Niel Brandt (Penn State University, USA)
– Claudio Ricci (Universidad Diego Portales, Chile)
– Paulina Lira (Universidad de Chile, Chile)
– Petri Vaisanen (SALT-SAAO, South Africa)
– Francoise Combes (Observatoire de Paris, France)
– Raffaella Morganti (ASTRON, Netherlands)
– Benny Trakhtenbrot (Tel Aviv University, Israel)

Discussions will be organised after each session, and will be summarised
and chaired by SOC members

———————–
SOC
– Mirjana Pović (ESSTI, Ethiopia) – chair
– Paola Marziani (INAF, Italy) – co-chair
– Hagai Netzer (Tel Aviv University, Israel) – co-chair
– Pheneas Nkundabakura (University of Rwanda, Rwanda) – co-chair
– Isabel Márquez (IAA-CSIC, Spain)
– Miguel Sánchez Portal (IRAM, Spain)
– Vincenzo Mainieri (ESO, Germany)
– Sylvain Veilleux (University of Maryland, USA)
– Itziar Aretxaga (INAOE, Mexico)
– Andrew C. Fabian (University of Cambridge, UK)
– Mara Salvato (MPE, Germany)
– Lisa J. Kewley (Australian National University, Australia)
– Jian-Min Wang (Institute of High Energy Physics – CAS, China)
– Prajval Shastri (Indian Institute of Astrophysics, India)
– Bradley M. Peterson (STScI, USA)
– Nebiha Shafi (HartRAO, South Africa)
– Bililign T. Dullo (Universidad Compultense de Madrid, Spain)

———————–
LOC
– Mirjana Pović (ESSTI) – chair
– Solomon Tessema Belay (ESSTI) – co-chair
– Alemiye Mamo Yacob (ESSTI) – co-chair
– Jerusalem Tamirat (ESSTI) – co-chair
– Feleke Zerihun (ESSTI) – co-chair
– Josefa Masegosa (IAA-CSIC, Spain) – co-chair
– Getachew Wollel (ESSTI)
– Mekbeb Tamrat (ESSTI)
– Sebhat Tadesse (ESSTI)
– Daniel Fikadu (ESSTI)
– Fraol Lenjisa (ESSTI)
– Biruk Abrham (ESSTI)
– Dugasa Belay (ESSTI)
– Alazar Seyoum (ESSTI)
– Eyoas Ergetu (ESSTI)
– Christopher D. Impey (University of Arizona, USA)
– Getinet Feleke (Kotebe Metropolitan University and ESSTI)
– Etsegenet Getachew (ESSTI)
– Zeleke Amado Beyoro (Kotebe Metropolitan University and ESSTI)
– Tilahun Getachew Woreta (Bule Hora University and ESSTI)
– Shimeles Terefe (Jimma University and ESSTI)
– Betelehem Bilata (Debre Birhan University and ESSTI)
– Tolu Biressa (Jimma University)

———————–
GENDER/GEOGRAPHICAL BALANCE, AND CHILD CARE
We will strongly try to achieve 50% – 50% of female – male participation
in
all parts of symposium organisation, and will take a special care to
have
participation of experts from all geographical locations. Child care
will be provided.

———————–
For more information, registration, and abstract submission see
http://iau356.essti.gov.et/

In this year anniversary of the first step of Man on the moon, the broadcast  “Autour de la question (in French) (Around the Question) on RFI is associated with the global event “On the moon again” to offer to one of our listeners an astronomical telescope that the laureate will to put in the street and share during the nights 12th and 13th, July 2019 as part of the international event “On the Moon again” which encourages telescope owners all over the world to go out on the night of 12th to 13th July for observing the moon.

The winner of the contest will be released at Caroline Lachowski’s broadcast “Around the Question” on May 22nd, with the participation of Sylvain Bouley, Sébastien Vauclair, Jean-Philippe Uzan, and David Baratoux.

http://www.rfi.fr/science/20190419-lune-gagnez-telescope-raconter-plus-belle-experience

En cette année anniversaire du premier pas de l’Homme sur la lune, l’émission Autour de la Question sur RFI s’associe à l’évènement mondial « On the moon again » pour faire gagner à un de nos auditeurs, une lunette astronomique que le lauréat devra sortir et partager les 12 et 13 juillet 2019 dans le cadre de l’évènement international « On the Moon again » qui encourage les possesseurs de télescope, partout dans le monde, à sortir dans la nuit du 12 au 13 juillet pour observer la lune.

Le lauréat du concours sera dévoilé lors de l’émission “Autour de la question” de Caroline Lachowski, le 22 Mai prochain, avec la participation de Sylvain Bouley, Sébastien Vauclair, Jean-Philippe Uzan, et  David Baratoux.

http://www.rfi.fr/science/20190419-lune-gagnez-telescope-raconter-plus-belle-experience

Dear observer of the moon,

Thank to all of those who already registered for the On the Moon Again event. In less than 100 days, we will be numerous around the world to release our telescopes to share the beauty of the Moon with passersby. A map of all observers and educational content will be available by June on the on the Moon again website.

300 participants in 40 different countries have already registered. We hope that Africa will be widely represented !

Take the lead on your local On the Moon again event and communicate as you like about it (social networks, local newspapers, municipality, associations, …).

Feel free to use the flyer below (click to download a pdf version in french or english).

For your information, a photo contest will be organized to reward the most beautiful photos illustrating this event. Among the lots, we can announce that a lunar meteorite and several telescopes will be to win. More information will be sent by July.

Good spring to all!
The team On the Moon Again