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.

Special Decadal Survey Town Hall Notice - Updated 3 Sept

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To foster community understanding of and support for the recommendations of the Astro 2010 Decadal Survey, "New Worlds, New Horizons," the AAS has coordinated a series of Town Halls with regional hosts so that a Decadal Survey member can present the results in a forum that enables questions and discussion at the individual level.

The first such Town Hall will take place on Thursday, Sept. 2, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, located at 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW in Washington, DC. The local host is Alan Boss (boss at dtm.ciw.edu; 202-478-8820) and the presenting Decadal Survey member is Scott Tremaine from Princeton University. Directions to DTM.

If you are viewing this from the main AAS page be sure to click "Read More" to see the list and more details about each town hall.

218th AAS Meeting — Boston, MA

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22-26 May, 2011

The Westin Copley Place
10 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116

We are now accepting Session Proposals for Special Sessions, Town Halls and Meetings-in-a-Meeting.

217th AAS Meeting — Seattle, WA

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AAS 217th logo

9-13 January 2011

Washington State Convention & Trade Center
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA 98101-2350


Enhancing Views of the Universe

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Donate to the Spring 2010 Campaign.

During the 2011 renewal period, the AAS asks you to give a new generation of students their first look through a telescope. In partnership with the Galileoscope project, we are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to inspire children by connecting them with the Universe. When you donate $150 or more to the General Fund, the AAS will provide a free Galileoscope to a school or other educational organization of your choosing.

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.

Summer 2010 Chambliss Winners

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Through the generosity of AAS Member Carlson Chambliss, the AAS established the Astronomy Achievement Student Awards to recognize exemplary research by undergraduate and graduate students who present posters at the semi-annual AAS meetings. The AAS thanks all the students who participated in the 216th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society Chambliss Student Achievement Awards and who made the judges' job difficult indeed due to the high quality of the presentations. We also thank all the judges who volunteered their time
and energy.

Donate to the AAS Now and Help Astronomy Happen

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Donate to the AAS

By donating to the AAS, members of the public can help enable astronomers to make new discoveries, collaborate more effectively and share their results with the public through publication.

The 2010 NSF / AAAS Visualization Challenge

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The Eyes Have It

There is a point where it all comes together — imagination, insight, aesthetics, and technical understanding. That point is your visualization of deep structure or fine detail, of novel perspective or unique viewpoint. This is the competition to illuminate something of our natural or built world that we have never seen before. This is the challenge, and the opportunity, of a lifetime.

Entry Deadline: September 15, 2010

The 2010 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge is co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the journal Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Awards categories include: Photography, Illustrations, Informational Posters and Graphics, Interactive Games, and Non-Interactive Media.

NSF and AAAS logo

Winning entries will be published in a February 2011 issue of the journal Science and Science Online and on NSF’s website. One winning entry will appear on the front cover of Science.

For more information, see: http://www.nsf.gov/news/scivis

Laserfest 2010 - Celebrating 50 Years of Laser Innovation!

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LaserFest logo

The AAS will be participating as a partner organization in LaserFest 2010, which is the 50th anniversary of the invention of the laser, a fundamental component in our modern technology.

The purpose of this celebration is to recognize and honor the accomplishments of the scientists, engineers, inventors, and entrepreneurs who made possible the discovery, development, and application of the laser; to inform students, educators, legislators, funding agencies, and the general public about the impact that the laser has had on the economy and how it has affected and continues to affect their lives in many ways; and to use the story of the laser to illustrate the importance of the scientific discovery and technological innovation.

To find out more information visit the LaserFest website.

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