1. Welcome: New SGAA/SSAA messages 2. The SSOM Engelberg Lectures on Optics 2007, 5-7 March 2007, Engelberg 3. 37th Saas-Fee course: final reminder 4. Astronet Symposium: A Science Vision for European Astronomy in the Next 20 Years, January 23-25, 2007, Poitiers, France _________________________________________________________________________ 1. Welcome: New SGAA/SSAA messages Dear colleagues, >From now on the Swiss Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics (SGAA/SSAA) will distribute information concerning Swiss astronomers via a mailing list on an irregular basis. As a member of the SGAA/SSAA you receive this message. The main objective is to circulate e.g. information from the Society, the commissions for Space Research and Astronomy, the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), the Swiss Space Office, etc., general information concerning Swiss astromy (e.g. news from the Roadmap and the new Networks), and similar news to the professional astronomers. Furthermore announcements of workshops, schools, conferences, special lectures and alike organised in Switzerland or by Swiss astronomers are also welcome. If you have or receive information of interest to the SGAA/SSAA members please send it to the SGAA/SSAA secretary following the instructions given below. An archive of the SGAA/SSAA messages will also be set up on the Webpage of the Society. We hope that you will find these messages useful. If you do not wish to receive the SGAA/SSAA messages in the future, please send an e-mail to Thomas Schildknecht (thomas.schildknecht∂aiub.unibe.ch) to "unsubscribe" from this mailing list. With our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Your SGAA/SSAA committee, Daniel Schaerer, Thomas Schildknecht, Hans Martin Schmid, Werner Schmutz _________________________________________________________________________ 2. The SSOM Engelberg Lectures on Optics 2007, 5-7 March 2007, Engelberg 3rd Announcement - The SSOM Engelberg Lectures on Optics 2007 "Photonics in Space: a Challenge for Modern Technologies" 5-7 March 2007, Hotel Regina Titlis, Engelberg, Switzerland Organised by: Swiss Society for Optics and Microscopy SSOM Swiss Space Office SSO Switzerland plays a strong and active role within the space programmes of the European Space Agency (ESA) and contributes about 135 Million Swiss Francs to these each year. Swiss companies and institutes participate in many current and upcoming programs. The cooperation is fruitful for both sides: ESA benefits from the technological competence of Swiss institutions, while the latter are challenged by the space projects? requirement for cutting edge technologies. The aim of this workshop is to encourage more Swiss institutes and companies to participate in space projects. To this end, the Swiss Space Office will provide information about existing ESA programmes and policies and sketch future technology needs. The workshop will focus on Photonics: Experts will explain novel ways of taking astronomical measurements at extreme wavelengths, describe new and advanced imaging methods and illustrate the central role played by time and frequency measurements in many applications. A special session will provide an update on modern optical production techniques, with emphasis on the high-end aspherical components required for new terrestrial and space instruments. By tradition, the SSOM Engelberg lectures are didactic in character. All sections include tutorial information to refresh or complement the knowledge of the audience in the specific fields. For more information and registration visit: http://www.ssom.ch/events/engelberg07.html Information received from J. Frauchiger (SSO) _________________________________________________________________________ 3. 37th Saas-Fee course: final reminder Few places are left for the 37th Saas-Fee course on "The Origin of the Galaxy and Local Group", 4 - 10 March, 2007, in Muerren. For more information and registration visit: http://www-theorie.physik.unizh.ch/research_groups/astrophysics/saas-fee2007/ _________________________________________________________________________ 4. Astronet Symposium: A Science Vision for European Astronomy in the Next 20 Years, January 23-25, 2007, Poitiers, France The ASTRONET effort has been initiated by a group of European funding Agencies in order to establish a comprehensive long-term planning for the development of European astronomy. It has been selected and is financially supported by the European Commission under its FP6 program. The overall objective is to consolidate and reinforce the highly competitive position that European astronomy has attained at the beginning of this 21st Century. Integral to ASTRONET needs is to establish a common Science Vision for the next 20 years, followed by a detailed Infrastructure Roadmap to attain the scientific goals. The Science Vision is currently being distilled by thematic Panels drawn from the astronomical Community; a web-based discussion forum on the "future scientific challenges in Astronomy" will be opened on the ASTRONET site beginning December as a prelude to this Symposium. It covers all astrophysical domains and both ground and space based observing means (relying mainly on the ESA Cosmic Vision for the latter). A co-ordination effort is also ongoing with the astroparticle community for scientific interfaces between the two communities. Symposium Goals and Means This 2.5 day Symposium on "future scientific challenges in Astronomy" is aimed at getting precious feedback from the astronomical Community at large to refine and consolidate the scientific goals of European Astronomy for the next two decades. Full information on --> http://www.eso.org/gen-fac/meetings/SciChall07/ For information on the European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures from the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures see --> http://cordis.europa.eu/esfri/roadmap.htm SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA----SGAA/SSAA For more information concerning the SGAA/SSAA, astronomy in Switzerland, and related topics visit our Website http://obswww.unige.ch/ssaa. For any information and messages to be circulated via the SGAA/SSAA mailing list please e-mail your text to Thomas Schildknecht (thomas.schildknecht∂aiub.unibe.ch) in plain ASCII (no accents and special characters). THANK YOU ! 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Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy