The BOOTES-3 telescope is on the move from its original home in Blenheim to its new home in Lauder:
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Please, NASA, Can We Use a Spy Telescope To Detect Planets by Microlensing?
I am part of a group of astronomers advising NASA on what science the WFIRST space telescope could do. In particular, we think that the WFIRST mission could find extra-solar planets using microlensing. From our Report:
NASA’s proposed WFIRST-AFTA mission will discover thousands of exoplanets with separations from the habitable zone out to unbound planets, using the technique of gravitational microlensing. The Study Analysis Group 11 of the NASA Exoplanet Program Analysis Group was convened to explore scientific programs that can be undertaken now, and in the years leading up to WFIRST’s launch, in order to maximize the mission’s scientific return and to reduce technical and scientific risk. This report presents those findings, which include suggested precursor Hubble Space Telescope observations, a ground-based, NIR microlensing survey, and other programs to develop and deepen community scientific expertise prior to the mission.
New Home for BOOTES-3
The BOOTES-3 telescope is being transported from its original home near Blenheim to the NIWA station near Lauder.
The BOOTES-3 telescope, also known as the Yock-Allen telescope, is a robotic telescope designed for the rapid observation of transient astrophysical phenomena, such as the optical counterparts to gamma-ray bursts.
The Rutherford Discovery Fellows Get Political
The Minister of Science and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recently published a Draft National Statement of Science Investment. This draft proposes how science will be funded in New Zealand. It is a consultation document, and the Minister and MBIE sought comments.
So the Royal Society Rutherford Discovery Fellows duly commented. Quoting from our response:
Here is the full RDF Response to the Draft NSSI.
Sir Martin Rees on the Global Village Idiots and the Centre for Existential Risk
I found out about the new Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge from Lord Rees’ TED talk:
The CSER was founded by Lord Rees (Astronomer Royal, President of the Royal Society 2005 – 2010), Huw Price (Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosopy) and Jaan Tallin (founder of Skype). The list of advisors to the CSER include Max Tegmark, Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk.
The CSER’s interest in fragile networks has clear resonance with Geoff Austin’s work on networks of resources. The theory of networks – fragile and otherwise – will be of interest to Te Pūnaha Matatini: The Centre for Complex Systems and Networks.