AAL is pleased to announce a new Call for Proposals at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) for observations in Semester 2020B (August 2020 – February 2021). 

​The deadline for the proposals is 16 March 2020, at 17:00 AEDT. 
Proposals to the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC) must follow the ATAC Policies and Procedures and be submitted before the deadline using the Lens proposal form. 

Australian proposals may seek either Open Time or Paid Time on the AAT. Open Time is only available to Australian proposals with at least half of the proposers and the lead proposer based at Australian institutions.

​Enquiries regarding the terms and conditions for AAT Paid Time can be made to Astronomy Australia Limited.

AAL is pleased to announce a new Call for Large Program Proposals on the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), for observations starting in Semester 2020B. 

​The deadline for proposals is 16 March 2020, at 17:00 AEDT. Proposals to the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC) must follow the ATAC Policies and Procedures and be submitted before the deadline using the Lens proposal form. 

Australian proposals may seek either Open Time or Paid Time on the AAT. Open Time is only available to Australian proposals with at least half of the proposers and the lead proposer based at Australian institutions. Enquiries regarding the terms and conditions for AAT Paid Time can be made to Astronomy Australia Limited.

​AAL was delighted to run a half-day workshop to introduce financial modelling experts from the ANZ bank to scientific and technical staff from the Centre for Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) and Astronomy Data and Computing Services (ADACS).
 
The workshop introduced the ANZ financial modellers to software and numerical techniques developed by researchers from OzGrav and ADACS. Initially created to solve cutting-edge astrophysical problems, the goal was to examine how these tools could be adapted to solve problems in finance and to build future opportunities for collaboration between the parties present on the day.
 
During the session, the ANZ modellers were shown the latest gravitational wave discovery, introduced to virtual reality representations of the universe and taken on a tour of the OzStar supercomputer. Talks focused on measuring parameters of colliding black holes and professional software services for researchers. AAL would like to thank all who participated on the day, and Swinburne University for hosting the event.

AAL looks forward to fostering more partnerships and opportunities for collaboration between astronomers and the financial sector in the near future.

AAL congratulates Professor Rachel Webster, Head of Astrophysics at The University of Melbourne and AAL Board Chair, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).

Professor Webster was singled out for this award in the 2020 Australia Day Honours List due to her ongoing distinguished service to education in the field of astrophysics, to astronomical research, and to young women scientists.

AAL would like to congratulate Professor Lisa Kewley of ANU, winner of the 2020 James Craig Watson Medal. Awarded by the National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC, Professor Kewley was recognised for her pioneering contributions to the study of galaxy formation and evolution. Amongst her other accomplishments, Professor Kewley produced the first models for star-forming galaxies to include a variable temperature and density distribution within the galaxy.

The director of ASTRO 3D and an ARC Laureate Fellow at ANU’s Research School for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Professor Kewley is the first person in Australia (and in the Southern Hemisphere) to be recognised with this major US award since it was established 133 years ago.