Machine Learning for a Data Driven Era of Planetary Science
Stavro Ivanovski (INAF-Trieste Astronomical Observatory, Italy), Angelo Pio Rossi (Constructor University, Germany), Jeronimo Bernard-Salas (ACRI-ST, France), and Anita Heward (DFET, UK) look at how Machine Learning (ML) is revolutionising planetary science.
Planetary Perspectives: Meet the New Europlanet Society Board
This edition of Planetary Perspectives finds out more about interests, backgrounds and ambitions for the Europlanet Society of the members of the Executive Board elected and taking up new roles in November 2023.
Supporting Astronomy in Ukraine
Gražina Tautvaišienė (Vilnius University, Lithuania), describes how a Europlanet programme is supporting Ukrainian colleagues to continue their research.
ERIM 2023: A New Kind of Europlanet Meeting
Anita Heward (Chair of the ERIM Organising Committee and Europlanet Sustainability Committee) reports on how the Europlanet Research Infrastructure Meeting (ERIM) in Bratislava has helped to lay the foundations for a sustainable Europlanet.
EPEC Annual Week: A Melting Pot of Ideas
James McKevitt (University of Vienna, Austria and UCL, UK) reflects on the outcomes of the Europlanet Early Career event, EPEC Annual Week, held in Bratislava, Slovakia in June 2023.
Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Science
The Europlanet Policy Team reports on a policy workshop that took place as part of the Europlanet Research Infrastructure Meeting (ERIM) 2023 last June.
The Ecological Footprint of Astronomy
Thibaut Roger (University of Bern, Switzerland) reports on a session at ERIM to initiate a discussion about the ecological impact of astronomy and planetary research activities
ERIM Goes to Schools
Thibaut Roger (University of Bern, Switzerland) and Barbara Cavalazzi (University of Bologna, Italy) bring astrobiology and planetary science to schools in Bratislava.
Diving into the Heavens: The Solar System Scope Project
Jozef Bodlak (Solar System Scope) tells the story behind the Solar System Scope – an app that takes users on an immersive journey with the aim of bringing the grandeur of space to the fingertips of people around the world.
The Making of ‘The Making of Juice’
Maarten Roos-Serote (Lightcurve Films, Portugal) shares a unique view behind the scenes of the making of the Juice mission.
Molėtai Magic
Alejandro Luis García Muñoz reports on the Europlanet Summer School 2023 at the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory in Lithuania.
Orionids Workshop 2023
Miloš Obert, Chair of the Slovak Union of Astronomers, reports on the Orionids 2023 astro-camp on meteor observations.
Dusting the Moon
Karolien Lefever and Sylvain Ranvier (BIRA-IASB, Belgium) report on DUSTER, a project that gets to grips with lunar dust in preparation for future exploration missions.
During the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) from 7-13 September 2024, Berlin will become a travelling hotspot for planetary scientists. EPSC Goes Live For Schools 2024 will brings participants into contact with classrooms in Berlin and beyond.
It’s been 4 years since the first edition of “EPSC goes live for schools”. Since the initial online edition, developed in the context of the pandemic lockdown, we have come a long way! In the intervening years we have managed to add on-site components, thus fulfilling the main aim of our partner, Lecturers Without Borders (Lewibo): give travelling scientists the opportunity to share their knowledge with the local community of schools, creating a temporary hotspot of sharing science with the local community!
In 2024, we are doing it again with our partners: LeWiBo, Europlanet Society, EPEC, DLR_School_Lab Berlin, MINToring program and Freie Universität Berlin. During the two weeks of 9th-20th September 2024 get ready to explore the planets of our solar system, to learn the latest in planetary science, but also to ask your questions to early career researchers in chats and more.
Would you like to participate in EPSC Goes Live for Schools 2024 as a scientist?
Tick the box to express interest when you submit your abstract for the meeting.
Would you like to join EPSC24 with your classroom?
If your school is located in Berlin you have the opportunity for a scientist to visit you and even host an art-workshop after the scientist’s visit and create a stop-motion movie on the spot (STEAM Lecture).
Some of the organised activities include:
“Cosmic interviews” where students meet researchers in person (on-site) | STOP-motion movie creation with berliner artist Carolina Boettner (on-site) | Presenting educational resources developed by Europlanet to teachers (online) | Asychronous Q&A in online chats on planetary science with early carreer researchers (online) | Planetary science webinars (online) | Arts contest #Inspiredbyotherworlds (online)
The Art Contest #inspiredbyotherworlds is already open for registration to students in all locations. Learn more on the Europlanet webpage.
Languages supported:
The events will be held in German or English.
Register here* and become part of a lively community this September!
*According to your location (in Berlin or elsewhere) we will send you the on-site or online programme of activities.
BepiColombo Spies Escaping Oxygen and Carbon in Unexplored Region of Venus’s Magnetosphere
A fleeting visit of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission to Venus has revealed surprising insights into how gases are stripped away from the upper layers of the planet’s atmosphere.
Detections in a previously unexplored region of Venus’s magnetic environment show that carbon and oxygen are being accelerated to speeds where they can escape the planet’s gravitational pull. The results have been published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Lina Hadid, CNRS researcher at the Plasma Physics Laboratory (LPP) and lead author of the study said: “This is the first time that positively charged carbon ions have been observed escaping from Venus’s atmosphere. These are heavy ions that are usually slow moving, so we are still trying to understand the mechanisms that are at play. It may be that an electrostatic ‘wind’ is lifting them away from the planet, or they could be accelerated through centrifugal processes.”
Unlike Earth, Venus does not generate an intrinsic magnetic field in its core. Nonetheless, a weak, comet-shaped ‘induced magnetosphere’ is created around the planet by the interaction of charged particles emitted by Sun (the solar wind) with electrically charged particles in Venus’s upper atmosphere. Draped around the magnetosphere is a region called the ‘magnetosheath’ where the solar wind is slowed and heated.
On 10 August 2021, BepiColombo passed by Venus to slow down and adjust course towards its final destination of Mercury. The spacecraft swooped up the long tail of Venus’s magnetosheath and emerged through the nose of the magnetic regions closest to the Sun. Over a 90-minute period of observations, BepiColombo’s instruments measured the number and mass of charged particles it encountered, capturing information about the chemical and physical processes driving atmospheric escape in the flank of the magnetosheath.
Early in its history, Venus had many similarities to Earth, including significant amounts of liquid water. Interactions with the solar wind have stripped away the water, leaving an atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and smaller amounts of nitrogen and other trace species. Previous missions, including NASA’s Pioneer Venus Orbiter and ESA’s Venus Express have made detailed studies of the type and quantity of molecules and charged particles that are lost into space. However, the missions’ orbital paths left some areas around Venus unexplored and many questions still unanswered.
Data for the study were obtained by BepiColombo’s Mass Spectrum Analyzer (MSA) and the Mercury Ion Analyzer (MIA) during the spacecraft’s second Venus flyby. The two sensors are part of the Mercury Plasma Particle Experiment (MPPE) instrument package, which is carried by Mio, the JAXA-led Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter.
“Characterising the loss of heavy ions and understanding the escape mechanisms at Venus is crucial to understand how the planet’s atmosphere has evolved and how it has lost all its water,” said Dominique Delcourt, researcher at LPP and the Principal Investigator of the MSA instrument.
Europlanet’s SPIDER space weather modelling tools enabled the researchers to track how the particles propagated through the Venusian magnetosheath.
“This result shows the unique results that can come out of measurements made during planetary flybys, where the spacecraft may move through regions generally unreachable by orbiting spacecraft,” said Nicolas André, of the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) and lead of the SPIDER service.
A fleet of spacecraft will investigate Venus over the next decade, including ESA’s Envision mission, NASA’s VERITAS orbiter and DAVINCI probe, and India’s Shukrayaan orbiter. Collectively, these spacecraft will provide a comprehensive picture of the Venusian environment, from the magnetosheath, down through the atmosphere to the surface and interior.
“Recent results suggest that the atmospheric escape from Venus cannot fully explain the loss of its historical water content. This study is an important step to uncover the truth about the historical evolution of the Venusian atmosphere, and upcoming missions will help fill in many gaps,” added co-author, Moa Persson of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics.
Publication details:
Hadid et al. BepiColombo observations of oxygen and carbon ions in the flank of Venus induced magnetosphere. Nature Astronomy, 12 April 2024.
Schematic view of planetary material escaping through Venus magnetosheath flank. The red line and arrow show the region and direction of observations by BepiColombo when the escaping ions (C+, O+, H+) were observed. Credit: Thibaut Roger/Europlanet 2024 RI/Hadid et al.
In October 2003, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was established as an independent administrative institution, integrating the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL). ISAS became one of four principal sections within the newly established organization. Its mission is to advance space science – scientific research conducted in outer space – in Japan, mainly by collaboration with universities. It also actively contributes to JAXA’s and Japan’s entire space development.
ISAS’s new efforts and results in space science are published in Japan and shared with the international community, thus promoting JAXA’s status and enhancing Japan’s intellectual reputation in the world.
Since 2005, Europlanet has provided Europe’s planetary science community with a platform to exchange ideas and personnel, share research tools, data and facilities, define key science goals for the future, and engage stakeholders, policy makers and European citizens with planetary science.
The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149 to provide access to state-of-the-art research facilities and a mechanism to coordinate Europe’s planetary science community. The project builds on a €2 million Framework 6 Coordination Action (EuroPlaNet), a €6 million Framework 7 Research Infrastructure (Europlanet RI) and a €10 million Horizon 2020 Research Infrastructure (Europlanet 2020 RI) funded by the European Commission.
The Europlanet Society promotes the advancement of European planetary science and related fields for the benefit of the community and is open to individual and organisational members. The Society’s aims are:
To expand and support a diverse and inclusive planetary community across Europe through the activities of its 10 Regional Hubs.
To build the profile of the sector through outreach, education and policy activities
To underpin the key role Europe plays in planetary science through developing links at a national and international level.
We are delighted to announce the call to host the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) in 2026 or 2027. EPSC is the major European meeting on planetary science, regularly attracting 1000-1200 participants from around the world, and is the annual meeting of the Europlanet Society.
Top level requirements: EPSC 2026 and 2027 should be hosted in a European city under the responsibility of a very motivated and very capable LOC (Local Organisation Committee) led by a research institute/research organisation with close links to the local planetary science community. The proposed venue should be able to accommodate 1200+ participants onsite and offer options to allow hybrid access for virtual participation.
Facilities should include a large auditorium for 350-400 participants, a large lecture hall for 160-200 participants, 2-3 rooms for up to 100 participants, and 2-3 rooms for up to 70 participants, as well as several smaller rooms for splinters, workshops, press conferences etc. The venue should include areas for coffee breaks, seating and working spaces, as well as the capacity to display 300 posters (300 single sided or 150 double sided) and to accommodate 10-20 exhibition booths. All facilities, including venues for proposed social event(s), should be of high-quality and accessible to all attendees, including those with reduced mobility and wheelchair users.
The venue should be in a safe and attractive location with excellent transport links (at both an international and local scale). Low-cost transportation and suitably priced accommodation for students should be available.
Process: Candidate host Institutes/organisations are welcome to apply for either or both 2026 and 2027. The preferred timing for EPSC 2026 is early-mid September, avoiding holidays (e.g. Yom Kippur). The dates for EPSC 2027 should ideally be 19-24 September to allow for reciprocal joint hybrid activities with the AAS Division of Planetary Sciences (DPS), which will take place that week in Providence, RI, US.
To respond to this call, please download the application pack from the call page on the Europlanet Society website: https://www.europlanet-society.org/epsc/call-for-hosting-epsc-2026-and-epsc-2027/. The application pack contains a detailed summary of the venue requirements, as well as a set of guidelines that draw on the experience of past EPSC hosts.
Applicants should fill in the application form on the call page to submit:
A document setting out your proposal in full, addressing all the areas listed in the venue requirements.
A completed EPSC Proposal Budget Template (Excel spreadsheet in the application pack).
A completed EPSC Room Requirements Template (Excel spreadsheet in the application pack).
Tentative calendar:
Deadline for applications: 19 April 202415 May 2024
Early site visit: June-July, (to be confirmed)
Proposal evaluation: July/August
Host selection: Announced at EPSC2024.
Any questions should be addressed to epsc@europlanet-society.org. We look forward to receiving your proposals.
Lena Noack, EPSC Executive Committee Chair
Anita Heward, EPSC Executive Committee Acting Vice Chair
Ann Carine Vandaele, President of the Europlanet Society and Europlanet Association Didier Moreau, Treasurer of the Europlanet Society and Europlanet Association
Mario Ebel, Copernicus Meetings
Winners Announced of the 2024 Europlanet Early Career Prize for Best Iberian Thesis in Planetary Sciences
The Europlanet Iberian Hub is proud to announce the winners of the first planetary early-career prizes in Spain & Portugal:
“Abraham Zacut” Award: Best Iberian PhD Thesis in Planetary Sciences & Exploration
Winner: Jennifer Huidobro
Thesis Title : Exploring Martian and Lunar Geochemistry through the study of meteorites, analogs, laboratory simulation, and mission data analysis”.
Tutors: Juan Manuel Madariaga Mota and Julene Aramendia Gutiérrez
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
“Pedro Nunes” Award: Best Iberian Master’s Thesis in Planetary Sciences & Exploration
Winner: Vasco Cardoso
Thesis Title: Collisional Evolution of Jupiter Trojans
Tutors: Nuno Peixinho and Paula Benavidez
University of Coimbra and University of Alicante
Jennifer Huidobro, Winner of the Europlanet Best Iberian PhD Thesis Award 2024.Vasco Cardoso, Winner of the Europlanet Best Iberian MSc Thesis Award 2024.
Juice Science Webinar Series: Juice One Year After Launch – News and Outlook
Webinar: 12 April 2024, 14:00 CEST
On the 14th April 2023, JUICE was launched from Kourou by the last but one Ariane 5 rocket. It will spend around 8 years travelling before reaching its destination: the Jupiter system and its icy moons. One year after launch, and it is time to discuss what has been done with the JUICE team and what is the prospect for the coming years. The cruise phase from Earth to Jupiter could be perceived as eventless, we will show that this is far from the case!
This series is organised in collaboration with the Europlanet Society.
We invite the world-wide community of planetary scientists to submit an abstract for presentation of their recent work at the EPSC2024 meeting, which will take place at the Henry Ford Building of the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, 8–13 September 2024. EPSC2024 will be organized as a fully hybrid meeting and will allow virtual access to all oral and poster sessions.
We are looking forward to meeting everyone in person this year in Berlin. The ethos for EPSC2024 is to create a simple, flexible, and inclusive meeting that provides multiple opportunities for interaction, scientific discussion, and networking. The programme of the congress will contain oral and poster sessions, as well as workshops and panel discussions.
The current list of sessions is organized around the following Programme Groups:
• Terrestrial Planets (TP) • Outer Planet Systems (OPS) • Missions, Instrumentation, Techniques, Modelling (MITM) • Small Bodies (comets, KBOs, rings, asteroids, meteorites, dust) (SB) • Exoplanets, Origins of Planetary Systems and Astrobiology (EXOA) • Outreach, Diversity, Amateur Astronomy (ODAA)
Please browse the list of sessions and identify the session that most closely matches your area of interest; your abstract can be submitted directly to that session.
The abstract submission deadline is 13:00 CEST, 15 May 2024.
Information on registration and social events, as well as a separate online form for requesting splinter meetings & workshops will also be available soon on the meeting web site.
Lena Noack & Anita Heward (on behalf of the EPSC committee) Stavro Ivanovski & Ákos Kereszturi (on behalf of the Scientific Organizing Committee) Mario Ebel (on behalf of Copernicus Meetings)
Tonight: Join Us for a Special Watch-Together Movie Session on Discord!
Join us tonight for a special watch-together movie session hosted by the Europlanet Society on Discord. This event promises to be an enriching experience for all space enthusiasts, featuring Maarten Roos-Serote’s film on the JUICE mission.
Introduction: We will begin with a brief introduction to the film and the significance of the JUICE mission.
Movie Screening: Following the introduction, we will watch the film together on Discord.
Q&A Session: After the screening, we will have a live Q&A session with members of the JUICE team who participated in the mission. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain insights directly from those involved in this groundbreaking project. Notably, we are pleased to announce the presence of Olivier Witasse, the Juice Project Scientist, who will be among the members of the JUICE team attending this event.
We encourage you to join us on Discord for this event. Additionally, we invite you to host physical get-togethers within your Hubs to enhance the experience for the Europlanet community!
To join our Discord server and participate in this watch-together movie session, simply follow this link.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to delve into the world of space exploration and connect with fellow enthusiasts, only on the Europlanet Society Discord. We look forward to seeing you there!
20-EPN2-116: HIDISCC (Hypervelocity Impacts for DISC Calibration)
Visit by Vincenzo Della Corte, Osservatorio Astronomico Capodimonte Napoli, INAF (Italy), to TA2.7 Light Gas Gun Laboratory, University of Kent (UK) Dates of visit: 27-29 March 2023
Report summary: The Comet Interceptor space mission is to launch in 2029 to study a dynamically new comet. Two of the three spacecraft involved will host copies of the Dust Impact Sensor and Counter (DISC), which will measure the physical properties of cometary dust. The spacecraft’s velocity (7-70 km/s) will result in hypervelocity dust impacts on DISC. Combined with the range of dust particle sizes, this will create a wide range of impact momentum (10-11–10-3 kg/m/s). To cover the upper part of the momentum range, DISC calibration will be performed with hypervelocity simulated impacts induced by lasers. To perform DISC characterization and calibration in the lower momentum range, we carried out experiments at the Light Gas Gun Impact Facility at the University of Kent (UK). To calibrate DISC and check the sensing element formed by the aluminum plate and the piezoelectric transducers:
We performed 9 shots at the Light Gas Gun Impact Facility at the University of Kent. We used different particle sizes and materials and different speeds, utilising different approaches, i.e. single particles with diameters down to 400 nm and buck-shots of a mixture of minerals and very light hollow spheres.
The signals from the piezoelectrics will be used to verify DISC estimated performance and enable a generally-valid impact sensor calibration procedure. All 9 shots provided signals, this was for both single impacts and multiple buck- shot impacts. The results of the experiment confirmed the capability of the instrument to measure the momentum of particles impacting in the hypervelocity range.
Get creative with Europlanet’s #InspiredByOtherWorlds arts contest 2024
The Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2024 is inviting schools and space enthusiasts of all ages to get creative and share their artworks and performances inspired by other worlds in a contest called#InspiredByOtherWorlds.
The theme this year is ‘Returning to Earth’.
About the contest
With missions like OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 in the headlines, this year’s contest looks at ideas around returning to Earth samples and clues on the origin of our Solar system and life!
Art is meant to inspire. Art is meant to be shared. Art allows us to go beyond our limits. Planetary science takes us beyond the limits of our world. What happens when a passion for art and a passion for exploring planets and other worlds meet? Let your imagination take us on a voyage through our Solar System and back to Earth! Show us how you have been inspired to create drawings, storytelling, pictures, videos, stop-motion animations, models, craft works or art installations at home.
The deadline for the competition is 09 September 2024.
Entries for #InspiredByOtherWorldswill be showcased during EPSC2024 in Berlin.
All artworks submitted will be judged by a panel of planetary scientists and artists. The winning artworks or performances will be shared via the Europlanet website, newsletters and social media and will be used to inspire young people in future Europlanet outreach activities.
So get creating!
Rules
For all the information about the contest, see the #InspiredByOtherWorlds FAQ page. If you’d also like to share on social media please use the hashtags #InspiredByOtherWorlds#EPSC2024.
Questions
If you have any questions, please contact stavro.ivanovski@inaf.it .
Acknowledgements
The #InspiredByOtherWorlds arts contest 2024 is supported by the Europlanet Society, the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) and Lecturers Without Borders.
#InspiredByOtherWorlds arts contest 2024 – animated advert
Who can enter?
The competition is open to all space enthusiasts, including children, members of the public, schools and clubs, as well as professional or amateur planetary scientists with a passion for the arts.
The theme for 2024 is “Returing to Earth”. With missions like OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 in the headlines, this year’s contest looks at ideas around returning to Earth samples and clues on the origin of our Solar system and life! Show us how you have been inspired to create drawings, storytelling, pictures, videos, stop-motion animations, models, craft works or art installations at home.
To enter the contest, fill in the submission form. In the form, you will be asked to upload your photo or provide link to your video on YouTube or Vimeo. Make sure that the link to your video is working and is accessible to external people or your submission will not be evaluated.
If you want to submit storytelling or poetry, send a photo or image with the text, or make a short video of you performing your work or reading it with accompanying visuals.
You have the option to provide a pseudonym if you would like your artwork to be credited to another name (for instance your social media handle) when displayed online or in our gallery.
The videos and images may be shared in Europlanet outreach activities aimed at the general public and schools and via our social media channels.
The submission form allows a maximum 10 MB file size to be uploaded. If your art requires a larger file size, please email stavro.ivanovski@inaf.it for further instructions before submitting the form.
For photo submissions, JPG, GIF (including animated GIF) or PNG formats are accepted. For video artworks, you will need to upload your video file to a sharing platform (Youtube, Vimeo, etc) so we recommend that you use a format accepted by the majority of platforms (the most common formats are .AVI and .MP4). This link has useful information on preparing videos to share on social media.
Are there any specific requirements for the content?
If you are using illustrations that you have not created yourself you must check that you have the necessary permissions and include the correct credits. There are no fixed templates, so be creative!
Choose a good title for your artwork to help us understand your inspirations and make your submission stand out.
You can use whatever device you have available to record your video – your phone, your laptop, a camera… it’s up to you. You can edit, adapt and add as many (or few) effects as you wish.
All artworks will be accessible through a dedicated online gallery on the Europlanet website. All artworks submitted will be considered by a panel of planetary scientists and artists. (Depending on entry numbers we may split into age/topic/type categories.) We will evaluate the submissions in each particular category according to the following criteria: inspiring idea, performance, original content and clarity.
All participants will be named Europlanet Participating Artists and featured on our website.
Art is meant to inspire. Art is meant to be shared. Art allows us to go beyond our limits. Planetary science takes us beyond the limits of our world. This year’s theme is “Returning to Earth”. Let your imagination take us on a voyage through our Solar System and back to Earth! Show us how you have been inspired to create drawings, storytelling, pictures, videos, stop-motion animations, models, craft works or art installations at home. Get creative with InspiredByOtherWorlds!
An inaugural workshop on Nuclear Astrochemistry has taken place this week at the European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas (ECT*) in Trento, Italy. The aim of the workshop is to introduce the ideas of this new interdisciplinary field, connecting the disparate fields of nuclear physics, astrochemistry and planet formation.
The workshop, the first of its kind, has brought leading experts together with early career researchers who will develop the nuclear astrochemistry field through observations (using JWST), theoretical models and simulations and laboratory studies to address the fundamental questions of how the elements and molecules of life are created in the universe and the consequences for the search for life beyond Earth and our Solar System.
Participants in the Inaugural Workshop on Nuclear Astrochemistry
Join the VESPA 2024 Warsaw Workshop – Extended Deadline for Open Call for Planetary Science Projects!
We are delighted to extend an invitation to the scientific community for the VESPA 2024 open call, a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in advancing Planetary Science and Solar System data accessibility. Aligned with the Europlanet 2024 RI programme, the VESPA activity is dedicated to creating an interoperable system grounded in the principles of Open Science. Here are three compelling reasons to consider participating in the VESPA 2024 open call:
Amplify Your Impact: By joining the open call, you have the opportunity to contribute to the expansion of the VESPA interface. Up to 5 projects will be selected, allowing you to showcase your expertise and significantly enhance the data content available to the scientific community.
Guidance and Collaboration: If your project is selected, you will be invited to a face-to-face workshop at the Space Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland, from April 22 to 26, 2024. This workshop will provide a unique opportunity to collaborate with experts and receive guidance in designing and setting up your project. Follow-up teleconferences in March/April 2024 will further support the finalization of the selected services.
Contribute to Open Science: The VESPA initiative aligns with the principles of Open Science, fostering transparency, collaboration, and accessibility. By participating, you actively contribute to the development of an interoperable system that promotes the sharing of Planetary Science and Solar System data, advancing the field as a whole.
Don’t miss this chance to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research and make a lasting impact on Planetary Science. Submit your project proposal for the VESPA 2024 open call and be part of a community dedicated to advancing our understanding of the Solar System.
The deadline for proposals has been extended to 8 March 2024.
The Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) is the annual meeting place of the Europlanet Society. With a track record of 18 years and regularly attracting around 1,000 participants, the Europlanet Science Congress is the largest planetary science meeting in Europe. It covers the entire range of planetary sciences.
The success of our meeting is founded on the excellence of the scientific sessions and as well as the session conveners. We therefore encourage you to submit session proposals through the conference website by 6 March 2024 at https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/epsc2024/provisionalprogramme
Session can be proposed for the following programme groups:
TP – Terrestrial Planets OPS – Outer Planet Systems MITM – Missions, Instrumentation, Techniques, Modelling SB – Small Bodies (comets, KBOs, rings, asteroids, meteorites, dust) EXOA – Exoplanets, Origins of Planetary Systems and Astrobiology ODAA – Outreach, Diversity, Amateur Astronomy
We will support conveners in their role by giving clearly defined guidelines, tools, tutorials and training – which will soon be released.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at epsc2024@copernicus.org in case of any questions or doubts.
Stavro Ivanovski and Akos Kereszturi Scientific organizing committee Co-Chairs
Europlanet’s sister-project, EXPLORE, has been funded by the European Commission to develop Machine Learning and advanced visualisation tools to support the astronomy and planetary communities. One of the real strengths of the EXPLORE project is the diverse skills-set of the team. As the project comes to a close, we’ve asked people working on the project to reflect on their careers, their inspirations and the advice that they would pass on. Click on the images below to read their career profiles. If they look familiar, many of the team are also part of the Europlanet 2024 RI project’s GMAP activity and comms team.
Nick CoxAlbert ZijlstraAnita HewardGiacomo NodjoumiAngelo Pio RossiJavier SuárezIain McDonaldManuela RauchAndree GenotLian GreijnVix Southgate.
We have produced an edited set of the profiles for download:
Call for Submission – Atlas of Planetary Geological Maps
The Europlanet 2024 RI GMAP infrastructure has opened a call for contributions for an Atlas of Planetary Geological Maps.
The Atlas aims to provide examples of geological maps of planets and small bodies to highlight different mapping approaches and adopted methodologies in various environments and for different purposes. This collection is thought to provide guidance and inspiration to students and scientists willing to approach geological mapping in different planetary contexts. Thus, contributions focused on specific mapping tools and workflows will be warmly welcome.
Banner and Illustration: Image Creator from Designer (Bing/DALL-E)
Given the didactic purpose of the volume, the maps can be also excerpts of already published maps, but they must be focused on definite geological environments and specifically accompanied with thoughtful explanations of the adopted work-flows and mapping tools.
The volume will have an ISBN number provided by ISPRA through the Geological Survey of Italy.
All the geological maps selected for the Atlas, and their underlying datasets, will also be included in the Europlanet-GMAP data portal, and relevant repositories for public use.
The volume will have a format of A4 cm with A3 maps. The exact number of pages for each contribution will be defined after having received the indications of interest.
As reference for the foreseen final product, you can check the ISPRA atlas “Mapping Geology in Italy”.
The received manuscripts will be revised by the editors, we do not foresee external reviews, specifically for already published maps, and map-related scientific results.
The final PDF will be openly accessible online.
Hard copies will be limited in number.
An indication of interest to submit your mapping work with a brief description of the topic should be sent to lucia.marinangeli@unich.it by Feb. 29.
Tentative Timeline:
Indication of Interest: February 29, 2024 Submission deadline: 15 May 2024 Contributions acceptance: June 2024 Advance publication of contributions Summer 2024
Editor:
Lucia Marinangeli and Marco Pantaloni – lead editors (& contacts)
Matteo Massironi, Riccardo Pozzobon, Angelo Pio Rossi, Monica Pondrelli, Pierre-Antoine Tesson, Ivan López Ruiz-Labranderas, Giulia Alemanno
22-EPN3-006: An Isotopic Inventory of Mars analogue environments
Visit by Michael Macey and Daniel Loy (OU, UK) to TA1.5 Makgadikgadi Salt Pans (Botswana). Dates of visit: 17-25 January 2024
An international team of scientists from The Open University (OU) and the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) conducted fieldwork across the Makgadikgadi Basin. The aim of the research conducted was to collect sediment cores and water samples to assess how viability of sulfur-cycling microbes varies across a gradient of salinities, desiccation, and UV-exposure, and how this might impact the formation of biosignatures. The timing of the trip allowed sampling across a spectrum of fluctuating environmental stressors in terms of the availability of water. During the trip, a total of 16 x 30 cm cores were collected for geochemical and microbiological characterisation. Furthermore, environmental variables were taken with pH, temperature, conductivity, redox potential, and UV monitored. The trip was a success, with the collection of ideal samples to identify the relative abundance and diversity of sulfur cycling microbes across this analogue environment.
The first planetary science workshop in Bolivia is underway! The workshop is being held over four days at the Institute for Geological and Environmental Research (Instituto de Investigaciones Geologicas y del Medio Ambiente UMSA) in La Paz, Bolivia.
The purpose of the workshop is to provide tools for the processing and mapping of planetary surfaces, exploring different planets and analogous environments in Bolivia and Latin America.
Catch up on YouTube:
1st Planetary Science Workshop in Bolivia. Credit: JE Suarez-Valencia/Europlanet.
The Europlanet Spain & Portugal Hub, is the Iberian node of the Europlanet Society. Its main objective is to support the Spanish and Portuguese planetary science community, with >400 planetary researchers and engineers, promoting the collaboration between all scientific and technology development institutions, private industries and space agencies, reinforcing the participation of Iberian scientists and engineers in national and international space research programmes.
The Switzerland Hub was established in 2019 to promote planetary science and related fields for the benefit of the Swiss and wider European community, within the Europlanet Society.
Members of the Committee of the Switzerland Hub are:
Chair (Outgoing): Sascha Quanz (ETH Zürich)
Industry Officer: Elena Benedetto (Université de Genève)
Outreach Officer: Thibaut Roger (Universität Bern)
The Southeast Europe Hub was established in 2018 to promote planetary science and related fields for the benefit of the scientific communities of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia, and wider European community, within the Europlanet Society.
Members of the Committee of the Southeast Europe Hub are:
Chair: Nick Sergis (Hellenic Space Center)
Advisor: Ioannis Daglis (Hellenic Space Center)
Vice-Chairs: Anezina Solomonidou (Caltech/JPL), Veneta Guineva (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), Constantinos Constantinou (University of Cyprus), Giuli Verbanac (University of Zagreb), Dan Alin Nedelcu (Romanian Academy of Sciences), Milan Radovanović (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts)
Early Career Officer: Christos Katsavrias (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
Diversity Officer: Marina Molla (9th Elementary School, Komotini)
Industry Officer: Ingmar Sandberg (Space Applications & Research Consultancy)
Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.
Europlanet AISBL (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif - 0800.634.634) is hosted by the Department of Planetary Atmospheres of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
