STCE Newsletter

13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012

Published by the STCE - this issue : 23 Feb 2012.
The Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE) is a collaborative network of the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, the Royal Observatory of Belgium and the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium.
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1. STCE annual meeting, workshop On-orbit degradation of Solar and Space weather Instruments: Lesson learned
2. STCE annual meeting: workshop Solar and Space Weather Instruments: Science Day
3. Review of solar activity (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)
4. Review of geomagnetic activity (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)
5. Geomagnetic Observations at Dourbes (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)
6. PROBA2 Observations (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)
7. Future Events

STCE annual meeting, workshop On-orbit degradation of Solar and Space weather Instruments: Lesson learned


The aim of this workshop is to open discussions related to the degradation observed on space instruments dedicated to monitor the Sun and Space weather. The idea is to share and gain knowledge from our past and present experiences and try to use them as a guide to improve future performance of ongoing instrument developments.
The presentations will then be followed by a Round Table (2h if time available) with the goal to provide good practices and innovative approaches to reduce or correct in-orbit degradation mechanism. We intend to implement an ongoing Lessons Learned process to identify what has gone well (and should be repeated) and things that we will do differently. We might initiate new studies to provide continuous improvement.
We welcome all participants who will share their experience and knowledge. We look forward to meeting you.
Ali BenMoussa (STCE-ROB) - ali.benmoussa at stce.be


Preliminary List of Talks

U. Schuehle (Max Planck Institut fuer Sonnensystemforschung), Space degradation and cleanliness of VUV/EUV solar spectrographs.
F. Auchere (Institut d Astrophysique Spatial), TBD (EIT/SOHO)
J. Tandy (Mullard Space Science Laboratory), TBD (Hinode EIS experience)
D. Bolsee, D. Gillotay and N. Pereira (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy - BISA/STCE), The long term mission of SOLAR SOLSPEC on board ISS - Internal capabilities for the detection and the correction of trends for the absolute responses and wavelength scales.
I. E. Dammasch, M. Domique, M. Kretzschmar, M Devogele and A. BenMoussa (ROB/STCE), Degradation of LYRA onboard PROBA2 after two years in orbit.
D. Seaton, J. Halain, B. Nicula and D. Berghmans (ROB/STCE), Degradation of SWAP, if any.
Sabri Mekaoui and Steven Dewitte (Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium - RMI/STCE), Ageing Corrections of DIARAD/VIRGO on SOHO.
M. Meftah et al. (LATMOS-IPSL, Universite Versailles St-Quentin), TBD (PICARD/SODISM).
G. Cessateur et al. (Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos - PMOD), TBD (PICARD/PREMOS).


Session: Next/Future instruments (to be launched)

V. Pierrard (BISA/STCE), Introduction to the space radiation environment and to the Energetic Particle Telescope (EPT)
JP Halain (Centre Spatial de Liege - CSL), Introduction to the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) telescopes onboard Solar Orbiter
T. Thilbert (CSL), TBD (ESIO)


Round Table (2h)

Keywords: On-orbit degradation, contamination, on board-calibration, Solar and Space weather instruments.


Practical Information

The workshop will take place on Thursday May 3rd 2012 at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels (Meridian room). This information will appear soon on a dedicated webpage.

STCE annual meeting: workshop Solar and Space Weather Instruments: Science Day


Following the STCE 1-day workshop - On-orbit degradation of Solar and Space weather Instruments - on Thursday May 3, 2012, the PROBA2 team of the STCE organizes a science day on Friday May 4. The focus will not lie on PROBA2 specifically but on science topics for which PROBA2 is relevant.


Preliminary subjects and talks

Particles in Low Earth Orbit: Lyra observations of auroral regions - SSA mapping by SWAP - TPMU and DSLP
Flare observations with radiometers and imagers: QPP - comparison with EVE spectra - PhD work (KULeuven, ROB) performed in this field - effects of flares on ionosphere/thermosphere - short time scale study
Comet Lovejoy: TBD with the Comet Working Group - link with comet lovejoy event in the US
The 2012 Venus Transit: predicted SWAP observations - plans of ground based observatories - ESA and STCE media coverage


We hope to see you on May 4!
David Berghmans - David.Berghmans at oma.be
Marie Dominique - Marie.dominique at oma.be

Review of solar activity (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)


Solar activity was very low throughout the week. The GOES X-ray background remained at B-level. On the last day of the week, February 19, one C1.1 flare occurred in NOAA AR 1422 (Cat 50) with peak time 08:51 UT. This active region had emerged and developed quickly during the previous day and holds the potential for more flaring activity. The flare on Feb. 19 was associated with a relatively narrow CME which is not expected to be geo-effective.


Several filament eruptions occurred in the past week: on Feb. 16 around 20:44 UT on the northwest limb, on Feb. 17 at 00:12 UT on the northwest limb and a second one in the SW quadrant around 06:12 UT, on Feb. 19 at 16:44 UT in the northwest. A CME towards the northwest was associated with this last event, which is not expected to be geo-effective.

Review of geomagnetic activity (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)


As a consequence of the filament eruptions on Feb. 10, geomagnetic conditions as measured in Dourbes turned to unsettled levels around 16:00 UT on Feb. 14 and throughout Feb. 15. Kp reached a value of 5 during one isolated period on Feb. 15. The interplanetary magnetic field was ~ 9nT with a strong southward component for an extended period, but the solar wind speed was very low around 380 km/s.


Geomagnetic conditions were quiet for the rest of the week, turning to active levels again on February 19 due the arrival of a coronal hole fast wind stream. As a consequence, the solar wind speed increased up to ~500 km/s.

Geomagnetic Observations at Dourbes (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)



PROBA2 Observations (13 Feb 2012 - 19 Feb 2012)


The solar activity this week was VERY LOW except for Sunday, when it was LOW.


Filament eruptions, visible in SWAP, occurred on:
Thu 16/02: 14:30 UT - NW limb
Fri 17/02: 00:12 UT - NW quadrant
Sun 19/02: 17:00 UT - NW limb, shown below:



Future Events


For more details, see http://www.spaceweather.eu/en/event/future


18th SPINE Meeting at Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Start : 2012-03-07 - End : 2012-03-07
You are invited to participate in the 18th workshop in the SPINE series. Attendees are invited to make presentations on their work in the field of spacecraft plasma interactions. Presentations of a general nature are welcome and this is a good opportunity to present work to European colleagues that may later be given at the SCTC in May.
In addition, we invite your ideas on two specific themes:
* 'R&D Requirements for Spacecraft Plasma Interactions' to help ESA to define a new Technical Dossier outlining the needs for future tools, testing, experimentation and Methodologies, and ;
* SPIS improvements and Evolutions' describing recent changes to SPIS and needs for future evolution.
Website:
http://dev.spis.org/projects/spine/home/meeting/mxviii


SDO-4/IRIS/Hinode Workshop: 'Dynamics and energetics of the coupled solar atmosphere', in Monterey, CA.

Start : 2012-03-12 - End : 2012-03-16
An overarching theme of the meeting is to cover how different regions in the solar atmosphere are coupled, with a particular focus on the chromosphere , the region where most of the non-thermal energy in the solar atmosphere is deposited. The meeting will focus on quiescence, i.e., the non-flaring, non-eruptive state of the atmosphere in coronal holes, quiet Sun and active regions.
The major goals of this meeting are:
* Provide an overview of recent insights in how different regions in the solar atmosphere are coupled and energized with a focus on how magnetic flux, mass and energy are transported through the atmosphere. This will be done by confronting recent advanced numerical models with state-of-the-art high resolution observations.
* Provide the community with an overview of outstanding challenges, such as the heating of the chromosphere , its connection to the corona, the role and interpretation of chromospheric magnetism in revealing the connectivity and energy deposition in the low solar atmosphere, and the relative role of waves and braiding in the heating of coronal plasma .
* Prepare the community to fully exploit the novel diagnostic capabilities that will be provided by future missions such as the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer, due for launch in late 2012, ESA 's Solar Orbiter, or Japan's Solar C mission. This will be done in part by providing tutorial and discussion sessions on optically thick chromospheric diagnostics (including spectropolarimetry) which are a major part of the diagnostic capabilities of both missions, and in part by illustrations of how detailed comparisons between synthetic observables from numerical models and observations lead to physical insights.
Site:
http://sdo4.lws-sdo-workshops.org/


Spectroscopy of the Dynamic Sun

Start : 2012-04-18 - End : 2012-04-20
We are hosting a conference celebrating the careers of Prof. George Doschek from NRL and Prof. Tetsuya Watanabe from NAOJ focussing on the topic of Spectroscopy of the Dynamic Sun.
George Doschek has played a major part in space solar spectroscopy for many decades. Following a key role in exploiting Skylab data, he made huge contributions to the design and build of instruments on board the P78-1, Yohkoh and Hinode missions, being US PI for the Hinode EIS. His knowledge of spectroscopy is recognized and respected internationally and he has published very many papers on high temperature solar plasmas.
Tetsuya Watanabe is a leading spectroscopist in Japan. Following work with stellar atmospheres, he has been involved from the start of Japanese space solar physics with significant roles in the Bragg spectrometers the Tansei 4, Hinotori and Yohkoh missions. He is Japanese PI for Hinode EIS. He has published extensively on solar X-ray and EUV spectra.
This conference will focus on recent results using spectroscopy to probe fundamental questions in solar physics.
Website:
http://msslxr.mssl.ucl.ac.uk:8080/SolarB/spectrosun/index.jsp


EGU General Assembly in Vienna, Austria

Start : 2012-04-22 - End : 2012-04-27
The EGU General Assembly 2012 will bring together geoscientists from all over the world into one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences. Especially for young scientists the EGU appeals to provide a forum to present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geosciences. The EGU is looking forward to cordially welcome you in Vienna.
Space weather related sessions:
Impact of solar and geomagnetic variabilities on the Earth's lower,middle and upper atmospheres (Thierry Dudok de Wit, Jean Lilensten, F.-J. Lübken, M. Kaufmann and P. Preusse)
This interdisciplinary session focuses on the multiple impacts of solar activity on climate variability. The session will address both forcing mechanisms such as solar spectral irradiance, geomagnetic perturbations and galactic cosmic rays, and the response of the upper, middle and lower atmosphere. Special attention will be payed to the solar flares and geomagnetic storms as well as to the role of the long-term trends of the solar activity, in particular, in global climate changes and modern global warming. Papers involving the physical processes in the ionosphere and stratosphere will be welcome in the first place. The objective is to go beyond correlation analyses and gain a better quantitative understanding of the different contributions of solar variability to the terrestrial environment.
More information:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2012/provisionalprogramme/CL
Space Weather and its Effects on Terrestrial and Geo -Space Environments: Science and Applications (Viviane Pierrard (BIRA-IASB, Belgium), Hanna Rothkaehl (Space Research Centre PAS, Poland), Norma Crosby (BIRA-IASB, Belgium)
This session gathers together scientists with expertise in various fields of solar-terrestrial physics that deal with the effects of space phenomena on different levels of geo -space. Effects range from those observed on spacecraft related activities all the way down to Earth, including technological systems, human health and the Earth's climate. We welcome contributions (theoretical and observational) as well as applied (effects on terrestrial and geo -space environments), on all aspects of space weather . Contributions related to the ESA Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme, or the EU FP7 programme, are very welcome. We look forward to a dynamic and interdisciplinary session.
Website:
http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2012/


NOAA Space Weather Workshop in Boulder (USA)

Start : 2012-04-24 - End : 2012-04-27
Space Weather Workshop is an annual conference that brings industry, academia, and government agencies together in a lively dialog about space weather . What began in 1996 as a conference for the space weather user community, Space Weather Workshop has evolved into the Nation’s leading conference on all issues relating to space weather .
The conference addresses the remarkably diverse impacts of space weather on today’s technology. The program highlights space weather impacts in several areas, including communications, navigations, spacecraft operations, aviation, and electric power. The presentations and discussions at the Space Weather Workshop also focus on identifying the highest priority needs for operational services that can guide future research and identifying new high-value capabilities that can be transitioned into operations. The conference fosters communication among researchers, space weather service providers, and users of space weather services.
Researchers have the opportunity to discuss relevant research in many areas of the space environment. Recent progress in large-scale modeling efforts will be featured; while new developments in Sun-to-Earth coupled modeling systems will also be a highlight.
Website:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sww/


26th NSO Workshop: 'Solar Origins of Space Weather and Space Climate: Connecting the Interior to the Corona'

Start : 2012-04-30 - End : 2012-05-04
As the impact of space weather and climate on daily life is becoming more important, it is timely to discuss the latest reseach on the solar origin of these phenomena. Recent advances in helioseismology have demonstrated that subsurface dynamics are closely associated with aspects of solar activity from the long-term timing of the solar cycle to the short-term eruption of solar flares. The advent of synoptic vector magnetic field measurements is opening up a new path for research on active regions, flares and CME 's. Coronal magnetic field measurements should become available in the next 5-10 years, supplying another physical constrain on space weather events.
Website:
http://www.nso.edu/general/workshops/2012/


Advances on space radiation and plasma environment monitoring, data analysis and flight opportunities workshop in Noordwijk, NL

Start : 2012-05-09 - End : 2012-05-11
The workshop on 'Advances on Space Radiation and Plasma Environment Monitoring, Data Analysis Methods and Flight Opportunities Workshop' is the forth of a series of workshops proposed under the auspices of the Space Environments and Effects Network of Technical Competences established to further cooperation in Europe.
The number of flying or ready to fly European radiation and plasma instruments has increased significantly since the last SEENoTC workshop on the subject in 2008 and a round-table at CNES in 2009. Research programmes have also made good progresses in investigating innovative technologies and new concepts designs which will allow a substantial reduction of mass, power and data rate budgets compared to traditional instrumentation, whilst providing equivalent or higher detection efficiency. With many future missions in Navigation, Telecommunications, Exploration, Science, GMES domains flying in severe radiation environments and carrying highly sensitive components and systems, the need for such radiation instrumentation is increasing. Accurate measurements of the Space Environment plays also a crucial role in improvement of radiation enviroment models and the development of the space weather services required by the Space Situational Awareness programme.
The intention of this workshop is to provide a venue for discussing the latest developments on space plasma and radiation environments and effects instrumentation, to examine possible flight opportunities for such instruments, and to establish the necessary technical and management steps necessary to ensure collaboration on future data analyses, databases, data sharing, and lessons learned from flight experience. It will also allow further discussion and capture of explicit experiment needs and further the harmonization of cooperation on instrument development, flight plans and data exploitation.
Website:
http://www.congrexprojects.com/12C16


Annular solar eclipse

Start : 2012-05-20 - End : 2012-05-20
For more information:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001.html


HELAS-5: The Modern Era of Helio- and Asteroseismology

Start : 2012-05-20 - End : 2012-05-25
Helioseismology and asteroseismology are the only means to investigate the interior of the Sun and stars. They are crucial for understanding the structure and evolution of stars, which produce all chemical elements in the universe heavier than helium, and which host and influence planets which may carry life. Understanding the physics of the Sun's interior is essential for understanding the solar dynamo and consequently for predicting solar magnetic activity, which has a severe impact on the operation of space missions. Understanding the interior of the stars is essential for understanding those astronomical objects that host and influence planets. With the suite of the latest instruments and missions, e.g. BiSON, GONG, SOHO , SDO, Hinode and Picard for solar exploration and MOST, CoRoT, Kepler, BRITE, SONG for stellar and exoplanetary research, the precision on the seismically determined quantities, e.g. flows in the solar interior or the ages and radii of stars will be greatly improved. This will allow creating new knowledge in solar physics and astrophysics and therefore makes the proposed conference particularly timely.
Website:
http://www.esf.org/index.php?id=9140


Workshop on Coronal Magnetism at Boulder, Colorado (USA)

Start : 2012-05-21 - End : 2012-05-23
The purpose of this workshop is to foster the development of tools to interpret current and future measurements of coronal magnetic fields in order to improve our understanding of the Sun and the sources of Space Weather . This is motivated by the anticipated rapid growth over the next decade in our remote sensing capabilities of the coronal plasma . These new capabilities can only be exploited with improvements in our ability to model the polarized radiative transfer through the coronal plasma and by coupling information on the coronal magnetic field and plasma conditions with models extending to the near Earth environment.
This workshop will include a wide variety of subjects including, but not limited to, instrumentation, the interpretation of polarimetric signals in EUV and UV emission lines, techniques to mitigate the effects of line-of-sight integration effects of the optically thin corona such as tomographic inversions and forward modeling, models of the polarized radiative transfer at radio wavelengths, extrapolation and MHD modeling of coronal magnetic fields, as well as discussions on how to move forward with coupling these inferences of the coronal plasma with models of heliospheric structure and Space Weather prediction.
Website:
http://www.hao.ucar.edu/CoronalMagnetismWorkshop/index.php


Heliophysics Summer School in Boulder, Colorado

Start : 2012-05-31 - End : 2012-06-07
The 2012 Heliophysics Summer School will focus on the science underlying current and future heliophysical missions, including but not limited to MMS, Themis , RBSP, IRIS, SDO, and Solar Probe Plus. After providing students with broad overviews of the solar atmosphere, the solar wind , the Earth’s magnetosphere , and ionosphere , the course will cover the basic concepts and unanswered questions pertaining to magnetic reconnection, shocks, plasma instabilities, turbulence, and heating, and the manner in which these concepts and questions affect our understanding of phenomena such as substorms, radiation belt and chromospheric dynamics, solar wind turbulence and particle heating, and heliospheric shocks.
Link:
http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/Heliophysics/summer-about-over.shtml


Los Alamos Space Weather Summer School

Start : 2012-06-04 - End : 2012-07-27
The Los Alamos National Laboratory established a summer school in 2011 dedicated to space weather , space science and applications. Every year we solicit applications for the Los Alamos Space Weather Summer School. This summer school is sponsored by IGPP (Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics) and PADSTE (Principal Associate Directorate for Science, Technology and Engineering), and PADGS (Principal Associate Directorate for Global Security) and has been established to bring together top space science students with internationally recognized researchers at LANL.
Website:
http://www.swx-school.lanl.gov/


First European School on: Fundamental processes in Space Weather in Spineto, Italy

Start : 2012-06-04 - End : 2012-06-09
The Space Weather Integrated Forecasting Framework network (http://www.swiff.eu) organizes in June 2012 the “First European School on Fundamental processes in space weather , a challenge in numerical modelingâ€. The School will focus on the theoretical study of Space plasmas, in particular on those systems where a continuous energy injection flow leads to a self-consistent coupling of the large scale, low frequency motions with the small scale, high frequency fluctuations including kinetic effects. Progress in this field heavily relies on numerical simulations that, as a matter of fact, are nowadays more similar to laboratory experiments than to theoretical exercises. This is true in terms of planning efforts in the preparatory phase, of manpower required, of data analysis and cost. The understanding of these processes represents a fundamental step for the future of Space Weather models.
Website:
http://www.df.unipi.it/~califano/SWIFF_School/EU_School_on_Space_Weather_fundamental_plasma_processes.html


Space Weather Effects on Humans: in Space and on Earth in Moscow, Russia

Start : 2012-06-04 - End : 2012-06-08
During the last thirty years there has been steady progress in our understanding of the influence that space weather has on the state of human health both in Space and at Earth. This development is mainly based on research conducted on humans onboard space stations and spacecrafts, as well as on ground based observations and experimental studies simulating conditions in space. This interdisciplinary field of research requires a wide exchange of expertise in various topics. Only with a global approach it will be possible to establish a mutual understanding, in regard to defining the current state of this research problem as well as identifying what should be pursued in future research activities.
Website:
http://swh2012.cosmos.ru/


Remote Sensing of the Inner Heliosphere 2011 in Aberystwyth, UK

Start : 2012-06-06 - End : 2012-06-10
We announce the 'Second Remote Sensing of the Inner Heliosphere Workshop' to be hosted by Aberystwyth University and held in Aberystwyth, Wales, UK, 06-10 June 2011. The workshop aims to gather experts from the various fields of remote-sensing observations of the inner heliosphere , including white-light, EUV, and radio observation, together with modellers in order to tackle key outstanding science issues, establish closer working relations, and devise the best ways to move the field forward. In addition, the science learned from remote-sensing observations is key to improving our capabilities of space weather forecasting. The workshop also aims to look at ways in which we can more easily and efficiently share and access the various types of data between individual groups and sub-communities, ways in which we model the inner heliosphere looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the available modelling, updates on present and future remote-sensing capabilities - including those on the STEREO /SDO/Solar Orbiter/Solar Probe+ Missions, and progress on use of the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio arrays - pathfinders for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) - linking remote-sensing observations of the inner heliosphere with those closer-in to the Sun as well as with in-situ measurements, and investigating further the ways in which these data sets all complement each other and are necessary to gain knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical processes that occur within the inner heliosphere .
Website:
http://heliosphere2011.dph.aber.ac.uk/


Solar Wind 13

Start : 2012-06-17 - End : 2012-06-22
The Thirteenth International Solar Wind Conference, organized by the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Center of Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) and the the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, will take place at Sheraton Keauhou Resort on Big Island, Hawaii, USA, from 17 to 22 June 2012. Please note that scientific sessions will start on Monday 18 June.
The conference will conform to the traditional solar wind themes, addressing the current state of knowledge in the relevant fields of solar and heliospheric physics. In particular, the conference will focus on the physics ofthe corona, the origin and acceleration of the solar wind , its dynamical interactions throughout the heliosphere and the interstellar medium and its boundaries. The program will be composed of both invited lectures and contributed talks and posters.
Website: http://www.sw13.org/


SHINE Conference 2012 in Wailea Maui, Hawaii

Start : 2012-06-25 - End : 2012-06-29
SHINE stands for Solar Heliospheric and INterplanetary Environment. It is an affiliation of researchers within the solar, interplanetary, and heliospheric communities, dedicated to promoting an enhanced understanding of the processes by which energy in the form of magnetic fields and particles are produced by the Sun and/or accelerated in interplanetary space and on the mechanisms by which these fields and particles are transported to the Earth through the inner heliosphere .
SHINE research focuses in particular upon the connection between events and phenomena on the Sun and their relation to solar wind structures in the inner heliosphere . The goal of SHINE activities is to enrich and strengthen both physical understanding and predictive capabilities for these phenomena.
Website:
http://shinecon.org/Current%20Meeting.htm


Toulouse Space Show (France)

Start : 2012-06-25 - End : 2012-06-28
Toulouse will host the most important players in the global aerospace industry, particularly those focusing on space applications. It will provide the opportunity to meet with more than 1000 experts, service providers, clients, users, researchers and students from all over the world.
Website:
http://www.toulousespaceshow.eu/tss12/en/


European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Rome, Italy

Start : 2012-07-01 - End : 2012-07-06
We have the pleasure to invite you in July 2012 to attend the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science, the now classical Ewass meeting, formely known as Jenam. In 2012, the meeting will take place in Rome, Italy, at the Pontificia Università Lateranense.
Website:
http://www.ifsi-roma.inaf.it/ewass2012/


BUKS2012 in Fodele Beach, Crete, Greece

Start : 2012-07-04 - End : 2012-07-07
The Sun is the most important astronomical object for humankind with solar activity having a direct impact on Earth. From a fundamental point of view the Sun offers an exceptional physics laboratory where the interactions of the astrophysical plasma and the magnetic field can be studied in detail.
The BUKS workshops on MHD waves and oscillations of the solar atmosphere is organised by the following research groups from Belgium, Spain and the UK:
* The Centre for Plasma Astrophysics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
* The Solar Physics & Space Plasma Research Centre, University of Sheffield, UK
* The Solar & Magnetospheric Theory Group, University of St Andrews, UK
* The Centre for Fusion, Space & Astrophysics, University of Warwick, UK
* The Solar Physics Group, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Spain
* The Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen's University Belfast, UK
BUKS2012 will also honour the contributions of Prof Marcel Goossens to the field of MHD waves and offer an opportunity to celebrate his 65th birthday.
Website:
https://habu.pst.qub.ac.uk/groups/buks2012/


23rd NASA Space Radiation Investigators’ Workshop in Durham, North Carolina (USA)

Start : 2012-07-08 - End : 2012-07-11
The 23rd Annual NASA Space Radiation Workshop is tentatively scheduled for July 8–11, 2012 in Durham, North Carolina. More information follows later.
Website: not available yet


ESOF 2012 in Dublin, Ireland

Start : 2012-07-11 - End : 2012-07-15
From 11th-15th of July 2012 international researchers, policy makers, business leaders and global media will gather in the Convention Centre in Dublin, Ireland to take part in the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF), 2012. A science conference like no other, ESOF 2012 is unique in representing the largest convergence of the Sciences, Humanities and Culture in Europe in 2012. Some of the keynote speakers at ESOF 2012 will include Craig Venter, Rolf-Dieter Heuer, Charles Bolden, Mary Robinson, and Bob Geldof.
Website: http://www.esof2012.org/


39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly

Start : 2012-07-14 - End : 2012-07-22
The 39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly will be held at the Global Education Centre, 2 Infosys Training Centre Mysore, Karnataka India from 14 - 22 July 2012. This Assembly is open to all bona fide scientists.
Website:
http://www.cospar-assembly.org/


CISM Summer School in Boulder (USA)

Start : 2012-07-16 - End : 2012-07-27
The CISM Space Weather Summer School is a 2-week intensive program targeted to first-year graduate students but also attended by undergraduates and space weather professionals. The daily schedule includes morning lectures, followed by afternoon laboratory sessions where students further explore the day's topics using CISM model simulations, observational data, and sophisticated visualization tools. CISM is making the laboratory materials publicly available for use by others, for example to supplement lecture courses or for student independent study. The deadline for applications is May 1.
Website:
http://www.bu.edu/cism/SummerSchool/overview.html


International Radiation Symposium in Berlin (Germany)

Start : 2012-08-06 - End : 2012-08-10
The IRC's International Radiation Symposium 2012 provides a forum for the scientific community to exchange recent results and evolving ideas relevant to many areas of atmospheric radiation. Quadrennially convened, the IRS assembles a global network of scientists and students engaged in studies pertaining to the Earth-atmosphere-Sun system, and encourages international cooperation in radiation research crucial to understanding and predicting Earth's dynamic climate and habitability. The IRC invites you to Berlin and welcomes your participation in this endeavor.
Website: http://irs2012.org/


Solar Information Processing Workshop (SIPWork VI), at Montana State University, Bozeman

Start : 2012-08-13 - End : 2012-08-16
You will have a noticed the slight re-branding of these workshops from ‘Image’ to ‘Information’ processing. We think it is time to expand the attention of these workshops to discuss more generally how information about the Sun can be derived, stored, shared, transformed and analyzed using appropriate techniques from many other disciplines. We will still be covering image processing and computer vision techniques applied to solar physics, but we will also be including other topics such as machine learning, data mining and new computing strategies. The re-branding simply acknowledges and makes explicit what the community has been doing to determine the physics of the Sun.
Link: http://www.sipwork.org/


XXVIII IAU General Assembly in Beijing, China

Start : 2012-08-20 - End : 2012-08-31
In August 2012 China will for the first time host the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Beijing. This triennial gathering of astronomers from around the world to discuss and debate the most recent discoveries about the universe is an important part of the vitality of our science. Astrophysics remains one of the most exciting areas of human endeavor, and the venue of the Beijing GA will be equally impressive: the new China National Convention Center that is housed in the Olympic Park in a beautiful, spacious building and area that is full of amenities for conference participants and visitors.
The contributions of Chinese astronomy to human knowledge and our understanding of the cosmos have been of historical significance, from the earliest to modern times. GA participants will have an opportunity to experience the wide range of astronomical activities now taking place in China that include new projects, facilities, and institutes. They will also report on, and hear, the latest research results from every field of astronomy. An exciting scientific programme is being developed that will hold the interest of everyone. I am pleased to welcome all Union members and invited guests to join us in Beijing for what will be a memorable General Assembly.
Website:
http://www.astronomy2012.org


International Meteor Conference in La Palma, Spain

Start : 2012-09-20 - End : 2012-09-23
Every year, the International Meteor Organization (IMO) organizes the International Meteor Conference (IMC). This conference deals with all aspects of meteor observation as well as the underlying physics and is aimed at both amateurs and professionals.
The International Meteor Organization (IMO) will hold the 31st annual International Meteor Conference (IMC) on La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, from 20 till 23 September, 2012. The conference will be organized by the Astro Travels agency in collaboration with the Cabildo of La Palma island authority which will sponsor this event.
Website:
http://www.imo.net/imc2012/


63rd International Astronautical Congress in Naples, Italy

Start : 2012-10-01 - End : 2012-10-05
At the forthcoming 63rd International Astronautical Congress in Naples a special session on the theme 'Effects of Space Weather on GEO Satellites' will be held as part of the 25th Symposium on Space Policy, Regulations and Economics.
This session will discuss case histories and mechanisms of effects of space weather on GEO satellites, models for prediction, and mitigation approaches. We would like to invite you to consider submitting abstracts for this session.
The call for papers can be found at The deadline for abstract submission is 29 February 2012.
http://www.iafastro.org/docs/2012/iac/IAC2012_CallForPapers.
Website: http://www.iac2012.org/


Space Weather and Challenges for Modern Society in Oslo, Norway

Start : 2012-10-22 - End : 2012-10-24
2012 – 2013 is expected to be years with high solar activity. This can trigger larger solar storms which can generate geomagnetic induced currents (GIC ) on the earth. GIC can affect the normal operation of specific industrial operations and critical infrastructure (e.g power grids, telecom, navigation systems, etc).
During space weather events, like solar storms, electric currents in the magnetosphere and ionosphere experience large variations, which manifest also in the earth's magnetic field. These variations induce currents (GIC ) in conductors operated on the surface of the earth. Electric transmission grids and buried pipelines are common examples of such conductor systems. GIC can cause problems, such as increased corrosion of pipeline steel and may disturb and possible damaged high-voltage power transformers and it can also have damaging effects on communication systems, navigation systems and oil and gas operations.
Vulnerable industries are the oil and gas industry, railways, telecommunication industry, navigation industry and not at least the society, which is very vulnerable concerning short or long term interruption of critical infrastructure.
The conference will focus on increasing the general knowledge of solar storms, space weather and GIC and the possible consequences for different industries and critical infrastructure, and look into reasonable means of protection, and consider possible early warning solutions.
More information:
http://www.tiems.info/images/stories/tiems%202012%20oslo%20conference%20call%20for%20papers.pdf


Ninth European Space Weather Week in Brussels, Belgium

Start : 2012-11-05 - End : 2012-11-09
We are pleased to announce that the Ninth European Space Weather Week will take place at the Académie Royale de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium between 5 and 9 November 2012.
This meeting is being jointly organised by the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE), ESA , the SWWT and the COST ES0803 communities. The local organisation is done by the STCE. This event will continue to build on the advances made during the first eight European Space Weather Weeks held between 2004 and 2011.
Website:
http://www.sidc.be/esww9/


Eclipse on the Coral Sea: Cycle 24 Ascending

Start : 2012-11-12 - End : 2012-11-16
As we emerge from one of the deepest and longest solar minima on record, with a new and powerful eye on the Sun -SDO- we invite all those with an interest is solar activity to gather in beautiful Palm Cove, Australia to review and assess our current knowledge and understanding of our magnetic star , and to experience the awe and wonder of a total solar eclipse on November 14, 2012.
Website:
http://moca.monash.edu/eclipse/


Total solar eclipse

Start : 2012-11-13 - End : 2012-11-13
For more information:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2012.html#SE2012Nov13T


Tracing the Connections in Solar Eruptive Events in Petaluma, CA, USA

Start : 2012-11-30 - End : 2012-12-05
The overarching objective of the conference is to examine the connections amongst the phenomena that lead to solar eruptive events. The current state of themes includes:
* Measuring the Coronal Magnetic Field;
* Connections to, and Reactions of, the Large-Scale Corona;
* Large-scale Magnetic Connectivity of Active Regions;
* Transfer of Energy to, and Storage of Energy in, the Corona;
* The High-Energy Particle - Flare - CME connection.
Working groups will address topics such as:
* Energy Transfer throughout a Solar Eruptive Event;
* Global Energetics of an Ensemble of Events;
* Coronal Influences to the Lower Atmosphere;
* CME Initiation and Type II Bursts;
* The Release of Energetic Particles in the Low Corona;
* Flows vs. Waves;
* Microflares/Nanoflares.
Website:
http://hessi.ssl.berkeley.edu/petaluma/index.shtml


Earth-Sun System Exploration 5 in Kona, Hawai'i USA

Start : 2013-01-13 - End : 2013-01-19
Information coming soon!
Website:
http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/Aurora/ESSE/index.html


Annular solar eclipse

Start : 2013-05-10 - End : 2013-05-10
For more information:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2013May10A.GIF


Hybrid solar eclipse

Start : 2013-11-03 - End : 2013-11-03
For more information:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2013Nov03H.GIF