(meteorobs) SOFIA Upper Deck Science Opportunities workshop

[Peter Jenniskens]

SOFIA Upper Deck Science Opportunities workshop
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Important dates:

    Registration deadline:           June 10
    Extended abstract submissions:            June 15
    Workshop:                                            June 22-23


                 SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT: ASTRONOMY

Widefield objects such as comets, transient phenomena such as
meteors and gamma-ray bursts, and observations that need
precise photometry may one day be possible from the
Upper Deck of the SOFIA Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared
and submm Astronomy, in serendipitous observations through the
adapted aircraft windows. Such airborne small-telescope astronomy
may add to ongoing studies with the main telescope, or be used for
independent long-term surveys, preferentially using the high altitude,
the low scintilation and the low water vapor background to the
benefit of addressing NASA and DLR roadmap goals.

In order to investigate the science questions that could be
addressed uniquely in potential future research experiments
on the SOFIA Upper Deck, NASA's Space Science APRA program
and NASA's Earth Science Enterprise are co-sponsoring a workshop:

           SOFIA Upper Deck Science Opportunities Workshop
                         to be held on:  June 22-23, 2004.
          at: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

We are soliciting extended (2-5 page) abstracts that will be
published on-line prior to the meeting. From that library, the
important science questions will be summarized in a white paper,
writing tasks for which will be allocated at the workshop.

If you can not attend the meeting but like to contribute, please
submit an extended abstract. This will be posted online and be
part of the workshop proceedings. Register as normal, but
select the "paper only" option.

More information on the workshop and registration can be found at:

                 http://surf.arc.nasa.gov


Scientific Organizing Committee:

  Peter Jenniskens (SETI Institute),
  Hansjuerg Jost (BAER Institute),
  Tim Castellano (NASA Ames Research Center),
  Leonhard Pfister (NASA Ames Research Center),
  Frans Rietmeijer (University of New Mexico Albuquerque),
  Ray Russell (The Aerospace Corporation),
  Hans Stenbaek-Nielsen (University of Alaska Fairbanks),
  Mike Taylor (Utah State University)