Spotlight
GMT Update from the AAS Meeting
Space.com interviewed Pat McCarthy and Buell Jannuzi at the winter AAS meeting and produced this update on the telescope and mirror-making timescales. First-science, with major amounts of engineering time, might happen as soon as 2023 or 2024. There is a 6 minute computer-generated video (following an advertisement), too. You can read the article HERE.
Photo Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope - GMTO Corporation. Produced by Todd Mason, Mason Media Inc.
Recent B.S. Degrees and Ph.D. Degrees
We had two astronomy undergrads graduate in December 2016:
Kyle Price-- B.S. Astronomy/Physics (double major)
Michael Evans-- B.A. Journalism (major) Astronomy (minor)
Since the start of summer 2016, the following grad students have gotten PhD's:
Michael Baubock
Nicholas Ballering
Charles Kilpatrick
Youngmin Seo
Congratulations to everyone!
Image: (From left) Baubock, Ballering, Kilpatrick, Seo
Successful Launch of Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory from Antarctica
Chris Walker's Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory team successfully launched STO from McMurdo in Antarctica on Dec 8, 2016. Photos and Captions are courtesy of Brian Duffy and Chris Walker. They've provided us with several photos. In addition, a video of the launch, provided by collaborator Chris Groppi of ASU, can be seen HERE.
Photo 1, the A-136 STO team. Front Row (L-R) Erin Jacklin, JHUAPL; Brian Duffy, UA; Elliot Rodberg, JHUAPL Back row, standing, (L-R) Christopher Walker, UA; Kay Davis, ASU; William (Bill) Peters, UA; Christopher Groppi, ASU; Abram Young, UA; Michael Carpenter, JHUAPL, Jose Siles, JPL.
Photo 2, Panorama of the Launch. The balloon is an LDB (Long Duration Balloon].
Photo 3, Balloon at moment of release.
Photo 4, Balloon Rising.
Photo 5, Flight Train Approaching Zenith.
Photo 6, STO in Flight.
Photo 7, STO Full Flight Train.
Dennis Zaritsky and Jeff Kingsley Honored by UA
Professor and Deputy Director Dennis Zaritsky and Associate Director Jeff Kingsley have been honored by UA as a 2017 Galileo Circle Fellow and a 2017 Galileo Circle Copernicus Awardee, respectively. "The Galileo Circle Fellows Award is one of the highest honors the College of Science can bestow on its tenure-track faculty. Galileo Circle Fellows are the epitome of the academic scholar, with a deep understanding over a broad range of science, a willingness to think in a truly interdisciplinary way, and an ability to inspire colleagues and students alike." "The Copernicus Award is one of the highest honors the College of Science can bestow on its non-tenure eligible faculty, appointed personnel or classified staff. The awardees' extraordinary accomplishments significantly advance the mission of their department and the knowledge base of their discipline." Congratulations, Dennis and Jeff.
Left: Dean Joaquin Ruiz & Dennis Zaritsky. Right: Dean Ruiz & Jeff Kingsley
Photos Courtesy of COS.
Announcing A New Fellowship at Steward Observatory
We are accepting applications for the first-ever Strittmatter Fellowship at Steward Observatory. It will join our Bok Fellowship, our Prize Fellowship in Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics, and the TAP Fellowship (Theoretical Astrophyics Program, a multi-departmental group) as a named fellowship in Astronomy/Astrophysics at the University of Arizona.
The Strittmatter Fellowship honors Peter Strittmatter, the Director of Steward for 37 years. Information can be found HERE. You can address scientific questions to Dr. Josh Eisner or "how to apply" questions to Elsie Gericke. Evaluation of applications begins Jan. 9, 2017.
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