SPACE WORKSHOP IN MAFRAQ, JORDAN, TO REVIEW MAJOR DATA FROM PLANETS AND STARS
Press Release
OS/1746
SPACE WORKSHOP IN MAFRAQ, JORDAN, TO REVIEW MAJOR DATA FROM PLANETS AND STARS
19990302 VIENNA, 2 March (UN Information Service) -- The highlights of recent scientific data from major space observatories studying planetary environments and the stars will be the focus of a workshop on basic space science in Mafraq, Jordan, from 13 to 17 March.The workshop, organized jointly by the United Nations and the European Space Agency (ESA), will bring together astronomers and space scientists from more than 30 countries to hear presentations about the sun and solar system, as well as space astrophysics.
Delegates at the workshop, which will be hosted by the Institute of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Al al-Bayt University on behalf of the Jordanian Government, will learn about in situ and remote exploration of the sun and solar system, large- and small-scale surveys of space, satellite missions and their data archives.
The workshop will use space data about the heliosphere and planetary environments from major observatories such as SOHO, Pathfinder, Galileo, Cassini/Huygens, while others, including CGRO, ROSAT, SAX, ASCA, EUVE, HST, HALCA, will provide information about the stars and far reaches of the universe.
Special attention will be given to archival research and education based on space missions, as well as how developing countries can access this data free of charge through facilities such as the Internet and worldwide web. Future research in space will also be discussed, with emphasis on the concept of a world space observatory.
At a special inauguration of the small astronomical observatory at Al al-Bayt University, space experts will speak about small telescopes and their importance in front-line research, as well as hands-on astrophysics for research and education.
The workshop is part of a series of training seminars, courses and conferences organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs through its Space Applications Programme, which was established in 1969 to keep scientists from developing countries up to date on remote sensing, satellite meteorology and satellite communications, as well as astronomy and planetary exploration.
- 2 - Press Release OS/1746 2 March 1999
The Jordan workshop is a run-up to the third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) at the United Nations Office in Vienna in July 1999, where the success of it and similar workshops held in India, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nigeria, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Honduras over the past eight years will be evaluated by basic space scientists.
Expected to participate in the Jordan workshop are astronomers and space scientists from Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Zambia.
Co-organizers of the workshop include the Austrian Space Agency (ASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the French Space Agency (CNES), the German Space Agency (DLR), the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States (NASA), the Planetary Society (TPS), and the United Nations.
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