The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established 1899, is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. The membership (~7,000) also includes physicists, mathematicians, geologists, engineers and others whose research interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising contemporary astronomy. The mission of the American Astronomical Society is to enhance and share humanity's scientific understanding of the Universe. Read the full mission statement.

AAS Statement on the James Webb Space Telescope

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Adopted 7 July 2011

The proposal released on July 6 by the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies to terminate the James Webb Space Telescope would waste more taxpayer dollars than it saves while simultaneously undercutting the critical effort to utilize American engineering and ingenuity to expand human knowledge. Such a proposal threatens American leadership in the fields of astrophysics and advanced space technology while likely eliminating hundreds, if not thousands, of high-tech jobs. Additionally, this proposal comes before the completion of a revised construction plan and budget for a launch of JWST by 2018. The United States position as the leader in astronomy, space science, and spaceflight is directly threatened by this proposal.

219th AAS Meeting — Austin, TX

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AAS 219th logo

8-12 January, 2012

Austin Convention Center
500 E. Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78701
 

Early Registration Opens 16 August!

ASP 2011 Conference on Science Education & Public Outreach

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ASP Annual Meeting 2011The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), in partnership with the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), announces the 2011 national conference "Connecting People to Science," July 31 to Aug. 3, 2011. The venue is the Tremont Plaza Hotel near the Baltimore Inner Harbor in Maryland. The conference website is now accepting registration and abstract submissions (deadline: April 22). Everyone working in education, public outreach, and science communication in space, Earth, and physical science is cordially invited to consider how best to share the results of our work with each other and the public, how to improve our practice, and how to make connections across science disciplines.

The Power of Giving

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Contribute Online

Click here for more information about The 2011 AAS Spring/Summer Campaign

"There are people in our community who in various ways quietly help others to succeed. One way that I like to recognize people who have been particularly helpful or supportive in my career is to make a donation to the AAS in their honor or their memory." - Lee Anne Willson

Join the ranks of Givers and donate to The Power of Giving. If you donate $250 to any AAS program, you will have access to the Donors Lounge at the winter and summer meeting. Members who donate $50 or more will receive an invitation to our 4th Annual Donor's Reception at the 2012 Austin meeting.

Annual Report of the American Astronomical Society

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Beginning with the 2009 edition, the AAS annual report is published separately from the Bulletin of the AAS, as directed by the Publications Board, and focuses on summarizing the activities of the Society instead of presenting a comprehensive reporting of them all. We hope this will make the report more readable and more widely read. Although the report will be printed in limited quantity, we expect most AAS members to download it here in digital format.

DPS Endorses Planetary Science Decadal Survey

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Division for Planetary Sciences

The AAS Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS), the world's largest organization of professional planetary scientists, has endorsed the decadal survey recommendations for the most important scientific and technical priorities in planetary sciences over the next 10 years. These include ground- and space-based assets and the best balance between small, medium, and large planetary space missions. The result of a two-year effort by the decadal survey committee, the report was released publicly on March 7, 2011, during a special session at the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, by the committee chair, Dr. Steven Squyres (Cornell University).

Tour John Huchra’s Universe with WorldWide Telescope

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John Huchra Photo

When astronomer John P. Huchra passed away in October 2010, his friends and colleagues at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), where he was an esteemed professor, and the American Astronomical Society (AAS), where he was past-president, sought a way to honor his research and teaching legacies. One way has been the creation of a new interactive WorldWide Telescope (WWT) tour, “John Huchra’s Universe,” which was unveiled at the 217th AAS meeting in Seattle, Washington, on January 11, 2011, and is now available online. WWT is a free and very powerful interactive astronomy program from Microsoft Research.

AAS Endorses Astro2010 Decadal Survey

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The AAS Council adopted a Resolution on the 2010 Decadal Survey Report on August 13, 2010:

"The American Astronomical Society enthusiastically endorses the Astro2010 Decadal Survey: New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Given recent advances in technology and understanding, this is a time of extraordinary opportunity for research in astronomy and astrophysics. This report is based on a comprehensive community-driven process, and presents exciting yet realistic recommendations for the next decade. The AAS urges the astronomical community to support the report and its priorities."

The Astro2010 report, New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, was publically released in pre-publication form on August 13, 2010, via the National Academies Press website and an eTownHall webcast live from the Keck Center of the National Academies in Washington, DC. The webcast featured a summary of the report and its recommendations from chair Roger Blandford (Stanford University) followed by a brief question-and-answer session. It is available as an archived flash video linked from the main Astro2010 website; also available is a PDF of Blandford's presentation slides.

An informational e-mail with more details has been sent to AAS members.

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