[FPSPACE] FW: STFC: AKARI finishes its cool observations

[LARRY KLAES]

>From: Lynn Cominsky <lynnc at universe.sonoma.edu>
>To: lynnc at universe.sonoma.edu
>Subject: STFC: AKARI finishes its cool observations
>Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:53:59 -0700
>
>THE FOLLOWING RELEASE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
>FACILITIES COUNCIL, IN THE U.K., AND IS FORWARDED FOR YOUR
>INFORMATION.  (FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY THE
>AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.) Lynn Cominsky, American Astronomical 
>Society
>
>AKARI finishes its cool observations
>
>THE JAXA/ESA infrared astronomical satellite, AKARI, ran out of its
>on-board supply of cryogen, liquid Helium at 08:33 (UT) on August 26th, 
>2007,
>signalling the completion of observations at far-infrared and mid-infrared
>wavelengths, including the All-Sky Survey.
>
>During this period of operation, which began on May 8th, AKARI achieved the
>pre-launch expected lifetime of 550 days. The satellite completed the
>far-infrared All-Sky Survey covering about 94 per cent of the entire sky,
>and also carried out mid-infrared survey as well as more than five thousand
>individual pointed observations. The data obtained are now being 
>intensively
>analysed by the project scientists and astronomers.
>
>AKARI plans to continue warm phase observations using the surviving 
>instruments
>that can still operate under the conditions provided by the additional
>on-board mechanical coolers. The preparation and performance evaluation of
>the next phase of the mission will be carried out over the next few months.
>
>UK astronomers from The Open University, Imperial College London, 
>University
>of Sussex and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC)
>Rutherford Appleton Laboratory are involved in AKARI which launched in
>February 2006. Supported by STFC they developed the software used to 
>process
>the data returned from the telescope.
>
>AKARI collaborator Dr Stephen Serjeant from the Open University said, "It's 
>a
>poignant moment when a major space mission like this, which so many people
>have worked so hard on, reaches the end of a major stage in its life span.
>AKARI has opened up new windows into the birth of stars and galaxies, the
>death of stars in supernovae, and supermassive black holes drawing in 
>material
>from their surrounding galaxy. But there is a great deal still to be 
>learned
>from the AKARI data and work is still being done on the data in hand. Also,
>AKARI will of course keep taking data at its shortest wavelengths, in the
>near-infrared just beyond the range of human eyesight."
>
>ESA AKARI Support Astronomer Dr Chris Pearson continues, "It is always a 
>sad
>day when a satellite completes its life cycle, although AKARI will continue 
>in
>a further warm phase of the mission. However, now we really concentrate on
>looking at the wealth of data taken by AKARI during its lifetime and get to
>grips with the analysis to produce valuable scientific results."
>
>UK AKARI collaborator Dr David Clements from Imperial College London add,
>“The cold phase of the AKARI mission may now be over, but scientists and
>engineers from Japan and Europe will be continuing their work to secure
>AKARI’s scientific legacy. You can be sure that the best is yet to come."
>
>Contacts
>Gill Ormrod- Science and Technology Facilities Council Press Office
>Tel: +44 (0) 1793 442012
>Email: gill.ormrod at stfc.ac.uk
>
>Science contacts
>Dr Chris Pearson - ESA Support Astronomer for AKARI
>Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency,
>Mobile (UK time zone): 00-81-80-325-73-763
>E-mail: cpp at ir.isas.jaxa.jp
>
>Dr Stephen Serjeant – Open University
>Tel: +44 (0) 1908 652724
>Mobile: +44 (0)7946 605913
>Email: s.serjeant (at) open.ac.uk
>
>Dr Richard Savage – University of Sussex
>Tel: +44 (0) 1273 678 069
>Email: r.s.savage (at) sussex.ac.uk
>
>Professor Michael Rowan-Robinson – Imperial College London
>Tel: +44 (0)207 594 7530
>Email: mrr (at) imperial.ac.uk
>
>Professor Glenn White – Open University and STFC’s Rutherford
>Appleton Laboratory
>Tel: +44 (0) 771 423 4897
>Email: g.j.white (at) open.ac.uk
>
>Dr Seb Oliver – University of Sussex
>Tel: +44 (0)1273 678852
>Email: S.oliver (at) sussex.ac.uk
>
>Dr Do Kester
>SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research
>Groningen, The Netherlands
>Tel: +31 50 363 7753
>
>Notes to Editors
>A description of and news from the AKARI observatory can be found on
>these three sites
>AKARI U.K. consortium website http://www.akari.org.uk/
>ISAS website http://www.ir.isas.jaxa.jp/ASTRO-F/Outreach/index_e.html
>ESA AKARI website http://astro-f.esac.esa.int/
>
>The AKARI Project is carried out with the support of Nagoya University,
>The University of Tokyo, the National Astronomical Observatory Japan, the
>European Space Agency (ESA), Imperial College London, the University of
>Sussex, The Open University (UK), the University of Groningen / SRON
>(The Netherlands), Seoul National University (Korea). The far-infrared
>detectors were developed in collaboration with The National Institute of
>Information and Communications Technology.
>
>
>Science and Technology Facilities Council
>
>The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its
>leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; 
>accessing
>and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; 
>and
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>
>The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle
>Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron
>Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council
>manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories:
>•       The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
>•       The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire
>•       The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh
>The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds
>[lynnc at universe aasmail]$ vi stfcrel082807
>[lynnc at universe aasmail]$ !vi
>vi stfcrel082807
>Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron
>Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council
>manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories:
>•       The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
>•       The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire
>•       The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh
>The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds
>the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory 
>for
>Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European
>Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for
>Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European 
>Space
>Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on
>La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National
>Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.
>
>The Council distributes public money from the Government to support
>scientific research.  Between 2007 and 2008 we will invest
>approximately 678 million pounds.
>
>The Council is a partner in the UK space programme, coordinated by the
>British National Space Centre.
>
>
>