National Solar Observatory Celebrates Relocation to Boulder, Colorado
The National Solar Observatory (NSO) has been at the forefront of ground-based solar astronomy for more than 60 years. The institution celebrates the relocation of its headquarters to Boulder, Colorado, from Tucson, Arizona, by hosting the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Physics Division annual meeting. This event brings together hundreds of solar scientists from around the world. The Solar Physics Division meeting will run from Tuesday, May 31st, to Friday, June 3rd, at the University of Colorado Memorial Center.
The move is motivated by NSO’s latest undertaking — the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) — the largest solar telescope in the world. Named in memory of the Hawaiian senator in honor of his commitment to scientific education and research, the telescope will be located on the Hawaiian island of Maui, on the mountain of Haleakala.
DKIST will revolutionize the future of solar-physics data. The telescope will be the largest, highest-resolution solar telescope in the world. In order to engage and educate future generations of solar physicists, NSO has moved its headquarters to a thriving university campus at the University of Colorado Boulder (CUB). The centralized location of Boulder will make the distribution of data across the US as seamless as possible. The data center and the majority of data processing will happen on-site at NSO headquarters.
“We are fortunate to be located in such a hub of solar-physics activity,” said NSO Director Dr. Valentín Martinez-Pillet. “This will enable NSO to educate future generations of ground-based solar scientists from across the country.”
DKIST will be the focus of a dedicated session at the Solar Physics Division meeting on June 1st in the Miller ballroom.
Throughout the meeting, there will be a series of news briefings highlighting the most up-to-date progress in solar research. See below for details.
Contacts:
Dr. Claire Raftery
NSO Head of Outreach
+1 510-520-7560
claire@nso.edu
Dr. Valentin Pillet
NSO Director
+1 575-590-7095
vmpillet@nso.edu
AAS/SPD Conference:
http://www.nso.edu/SPD2016
American Astronomical Society:
https://aas.org
Solar Physics Division:
http://spd.aas.org
National Solar Observatory:
http://www.nso.edu
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy:
http://aura-astronomy.org
Conference Twitter account: @solarphys
Conference social-media hashtag: #2016SPD
Complimentary press registration for the conference is available for bona fide working journalists and public-information officers (PIOs); please contact the AAS/SPD press officer, Craig DeForest, at deforest@boulder.swri.edu, with the subject “SPD Press Registration” for complimentary pre-registration with badge pickup at the regular registration booth on-site. Be sure to include your name and affiliation as you wish them to appear on your badge. The abstracts and meeting program are online and searchable at http://www.nso.edu/SPD2016
Media Briefings are planned each day from 31 May through 2 June, at 10:30 am MDT. Topics are listed below. Briefings are available by teleconference as well as in person. For remote access, send an email to deforest@boulder.swri.edu with the phrase “SPD Press Briefings.”
Tuesday 31 May, 10:30 am MDT:
“An Explosion of New High-Energy Solar Physics”
A surprising number of new X-ray and gamma-ray experiments are changing our understanding of the hottest locations in the solar system.
Wednesday 1 Jun, 10:30 am MDT:
“Science Highlights”
Technology from the 18th century meets the 21st century, and scientists report the latest insights into how and why the Sun produces “stealth CMEs” and other fast-moving clouds of material, in this roundup of selected science results from the SPD meeting.
Thursday 2 Jun, 10:30 am MDT:
“Preparing for the Great American Eclipse of 2017”
Planning for next year’s solar event are already well under way; expert panelists describe scientific preparation, why the eclipse is so exciting, and how individuals can help with eclipse experiments.
