MARCH 2008 - TOPICS

Short News Aristarchos Call for Proposals - Period 2008B Upcoming Elections of Hel.A.S. New web site of Gerostathopoulio University Observatory Members in New Positions SAO Predoctoral Fellowships Lunar Eclipse: February 20/21 2008 Upcoming Astronomy meetings in Greece About this Newsletter

1. SHORT NEWS

We would like to congratulate Dr. Alceste Bonanos, for being awarded the Giacconi fellowship at the Space Telescope Science Institute, in Baltimore (USA). Dr. Bonanos will commence her 3 year fellowship appointment in the fall of 2008. We would like to congratulate Dr. Dimitris Giannios, for being awarded the Lyman Spitzer fellowship at the Department for Astrophysical Sciences of Princeton University (USA). Dr. Giannios will commence his 3 year fellowship appointment in the fall of 2008. We would like to congratulate Dr. Markos Trichas who has recently obtained his PhD from the Dept. of Physics of the Imperial College London (UK) under the supervision of Prof. M. Rowan-Robinson. The title of his dissertation was "Multiwavelength Surveys of SWIRE ULIRGs".

2. ARISTARCHOS CALL FOR PROPOSALS - PERIOD 2008B

The Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics has issued a call for observing proposals for the 2008B season with the 2.3m Aristarchos telescope. The 2008B period covers the months August to November 2008. The proposal deadline is March 15th 2008 (12:00 UTC). All relevant details regarding application forms and available instruments can be found in the Helmos observatory web-page at: http://www.astro.noa.gr/helmos/ and in particular at: http://www.astro.noa.gr/helmos/applying.html

3. UPCOMING ELECTIONS OF HEL.A.S.

The deadline for nominations of candidates for the new Governing Council of Hel.A.S. was February 29th. The following members of Hel.A.S. were nominated and have accepted to be candidates for the corresponding positions in the upcoming elections: Candidate for President: Tsinganos Kanaris, Professor, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Athens Candidates for the Governing Council (6 elected): Charmandaris Vassilis, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Crete Daglis Ioannis, Director, Institute of Space Applications & Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens Mastichiadis Apostolos, Associate Professor, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Athens Plionis Manolis, Research Director, Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics, National Observatory of Athens Stergioulas Nikos, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Thessaloniki Vlahos Loukas, Professor, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Thessaloniki Candidates for Auditors (3 elected): Katsiyannis Athanasios, Assistant Researcher, Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics, National Observatory of Athens Nindos Alexandros, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Ioannina Tsiganis Kleomenis, Lecturer, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Thessaloniki Vlahakis Nektarios, Lecturer, Univ. of Athens Ballots and instructions on how to vote will be sent to all members within a month but one can always vote by attending the General Assembly which will take place during the elections on June 20th 2008. Please check your postal address listed in the online directory of Hel.A.S. to ensure that it is correct. If you spot a mistake please contact the Secretary of the Society immediately. Note that you must have paid your past membership fees, including the year 2007, in order to be eligible to vote.

4. NEW WEB SITE OF GEROSTATHOPOULIO UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY

The Gerostathopoulio University Observatory, located on the Campus of the University of Athens, has been operating since January 2000, and has been used with great success for the research and education activities at the faculty and students of the University of Athens. A new web site providing many details on the Observatory and associated events and activities is now available. We encourage all members of Hel.A.S. to visit the new site at: http://www.phys.uoa.gr/observatory/

5. MEMBERS IN NEW POSITIONS

Dr. Stelios Kazantzidis recently moved from the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University, Stanford, CA (USA) to a Long-Term Institute Fellow position at the Center for Cosmology and Astro-Particle Physics of The Ohio State University, at Columbus, OH, (USA). Dr. Antonis Polatidis recentrly moved from the Max Planck Institut für Radioastronomie in Bonn (Germany) to a Support Scientist position at the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe in Dwingeloo (The Netherlands). Dr. Haris Skokos recently moved from the Observatoire de Paris (France) to a Research Associate position at the Max Plank Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, in Dresden, (Germany).

6. SAO PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

Started in 1985, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Predoctoral Programhas welcomed graduate students from universities around the world interested in carrying out all or part of their research under the guidance of SAO Scientists. The 2008 Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Predoctoral Program invites applications from current graduate students pursuing thesis research in astrophysics or related fields. Applicants in theory, observation, instrument development, or laboratory experiments at a university or college are strongly encouraged to apply. Online applications are due by April 15, 2008, 17:00 GMT. For more information visit: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/opportunities/fellowships/predoc/ The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics creates a rich environment for collaborations among future colleagues by bringing together over 300 SAO scientists across a broad spectrum of scientific endeavors in nearly all areas related to astronomy, including: atomic and molecular physics, geophysics and atmospheric physics, the solar system, solar physics, planetary systems, the interstellar medium, stars and star formation, supernovae, compact objects, galaxies, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. Facilities include the MMT Observatory, Magellan, and other optical and infrared telescopes; radio telescopes, especially the Submillimeter Array on Mauna Kea, Hawaii; a large Beowulf cluster and network of workstations; a number of specialized laboratories; an outstanding library system; and access to data from a wide range of space missions, especially the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

7. LUNAR ECLIPSE: FEBRUARY 20/21, 2008

On February 20/21, 2008, a total lunar eclipse took place. The event was also visible from Greece which many of us enjoyed it during the early morning hours of last Thursday (see an impressive picture of the totality with the Temple of Poseidon in the foreground, by A. Ayiomamitis) Another stunning view of the event was taken from the top of Mauna Kea at the Big Island of Hawaii (USA), where the eclipse took place at the time of sunset, and has made the Astronomy Picture of the Day. The picture and the associated video depict the shadow of the 4,200m volcanic cone peak of Mauna Kea moving on the horizon and progressively engulfing the already-eclipsed Moon.

8. UPCOMING ASTRONOMY MEETINGS IN GREECE

The following meetings will take place in Greece. Please check the corresponding web page or contact the organizers by e-mail for more information.

5th Astronomical Data Analysis Conference (ADA5) Island of Crete, 7-9 May 2008 Chaotic Modeling and Simulation International Conference (CHAOS2008) Island of Crete, 3-6 June 2008 The Central Kiloparsec: Active Galactic Nuclei and Their Hosts Island of Crete, 4-6 June 2008 NEB - XIII: Recent Developments in Gravity Thessaloniki, 4-6 June 2008 International Conference on the "Dynamics of Celestial Bodies" In honor of Prof. John D. Hadjidemetriou Litohoro, 23-26 June 2008 The Cosmic Odyssey of the Elements Island of Aegina, 23-27 June 2008 Protostellar Jets in Context Island of Rhodes, 7-11 July 2008

9. ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

This Newsletter was sent to all members of Hel.A.S. who have e-mail access. The next edition of the Newsletter will be mailed around April 1st 2008. Please send your announcements (e.g. appointments/departures, job openings, research opportunities, awards, conferences in Greece) or comments before March 25, 2008. If you do not wish to receive future issues of this Newsletter or the e-mail address to which it was sent is not your preferred one, please inform the Secretary of Hel.A.S.