In this issue:

1. CALL FOR OBSERVING PROPOSALS FOR PERIOD 85
2. POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS AT ESO
3. X-shooter COMMISSIONING AND SCIENCE VERIFICATION DATA
4. PI RETRIEVAL OF PROPRIETARY DATA
5. ESO ARCHIVE NEWS
6. WORKSHOPS

1. CALL FOR OBSERVING PROPOSALS FOR PERIOD 85

The Call for Proposals for observations at ESO telescopes during Period 85 (1 April 2010 - 30 September 2010) has been released. In this Period, new VLTI baselines using the Auxiliary Telescopes are offered for the first time.

The deadline for proposal submission is 1 October 2009, 12:00 noon CEST. The full Call for Proposals and the ESOFORM electronic submission package can be obtained here. In order to avoid last-minute problems, users are strongly encouraged to fully verify their proposal well ahead of its actual submission, using a preliminary version including all necessary fixed-format technical information, but possibly incomplete or with non-final text (see the ESOFORM manual for details).

2. POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS AT ESO

ESO has an active fellowship programme in both Garching and in Chile, with a yearly application deadline on October 15. The goal of these fellowships is to offer young outstanding scientists opportunities and facilities to enhance their research programmes in close contact with the activities and staff at ESO. Full details can be found here. All applications should be made online through the ESO recruitment portal.

In addition, ESO offers ALMA fellowships - funded by the Marie-Curie COFUND Programme of the European Community - to be held in the European ARC nodes in complement to its regular fellowship programme. Closing date for ALMA fellowship applications is November 1st 2009. Full details are available in the announcement and the applications should also be made online through the ESO recruitment portal.

3. X-shooter COMMISSIONING AND SCIENCE VERIFICATION DATA

Four commissioning runs for the latest VLT instrument X-shooter were performed over 24 nights in four periods. The first two commissioning runs were with the UV-B and VIS-R arms only, the third and fourth runs with the UV-B, VIS-R and NIR arms. These data are public.

The first set of Science Verification observations for X-Shooter were carried out in August and these public data can be downloaded. More X-shooter SV observations are scheduled in September.

4. PI RETRIEVAL OF PROPRIETARY DATA

ESO PIs have been able to retrieve their own raw data online while still protected under the proprietary period. Now it is possible to retrieve online the corresponding data package, containing raw and master calibrations, science data products and ancillary information (processing logs, excerpts from the relevant observing logs, etc.). Detials of this service can be found here and FAQs are available. Access to this service is via the User Portal.

Data packages containing this additional content are available for runs active in P83 (the current one). To obtain earlier raw data that is still covered by the proprietary period PIs may use the normal ESO Archive interface..

5. ESO ARCHIVE NEWS

Public HARPS data packages containing pipeline reduced data (Advanced Data Products) were released in June covering the first six years of operation (2003-2008). The initial release in January 2008 consisted of packages covering data from 2003-2006.

For more information about the above item, or to subscribe to the archive RSS feed to stay informed on the latest archive developments, please visit the Science Archive Facility.

6. WORKSHOPS

Registration for the following workshops is open:

Galaxy Clusters in the Early Universe

ESO Workshop, Pucón, Chile, 9-12 November 2009

The goal of this four-day workshop is to bring together theorists and observers to review our progress on finding, studying and understanding galaxy clusters at high redshifts. Galaxy clusters at high redshifts provide important constraints on cosmological parameters and the amount of dark matter in the Universe and laboratories for studying environmental influences on galaxy formation. The workshop, limited to 100 participants, will take place in the beautiful resort town of Pucón in Southern Chile.

Registration and further details here.

The Origin and Fate of the Sun: Evolution of Solar-mass Stars Observed with High Angular Resolution

ESO Workshop, ESO Headquarters, Garching, 2-5 March, 2010

The goal of this workshop is to review recent results on solar-mass stars obtained with infrared and millimetre interferometers, and to discuss their importance for our understanding of stellar evolution from star formation to stellar end products. The workshop will concentrate on the mass range from approximately 0.5 to 2 solar masses, will discuss what new results for one stage of stellar evolution mean for the next stage, and will bring interferometric results into context with our knowledge based on other observational techniques and with theory. It will also include prospects with 2nd generation instruments at the VLTI and with ALMA. Interferometry experts and non-interferometrists alike are welcome to attend the workshop and to bring together their different perspectives.

Registration and further details here.

JWST and the ELTs: An Ideal Combination

Joint ESA/ESO Workshop, ESO Headquarters Garching, 13-16 April, 2010

The main goal of the workshop is to bring the JWST and ELT communities together, to identify the common science cases, and to outline instrumentation/upgrade priorities for the ELTs which would maximise the scientific return in key areas of scientific research requiring both facilities. The workshop will present the current status of the projects, and aims to identify the common science cases in the areas of fundamental physics, cosmology, and relics of the early Universe, galaxy and ISM evolution, star formation from re-ionisation to the present, Solar Systems near and far. The discussions will aim at identifying cases where synergy and complementarity between JWST and the ELTs lead to clear instrument priorities and programme strategies for the ELTs.

The deadline for registration is December 15, 2009 and further details can be found here.

See the complete list of forthcoming workshops organised by ESO.

The current ESO Electronic Newsletter and back issues are always available on the ESO Web pages here.