AAO Observer - August 2011 Edition

TL;DR

This issue of the Australian Astronomical Observatory Observer covers recent developments, new instruments, surveys, and community discussions in astronomy, highlighting technological advances and recent scientific findings.

Contribution

It introduces new astronomical instruments and surveys, and reports on recent scientific results and community activities in astronomy.

Findings

First hexabundle galaxy spectra from SAMI instrument

Half a million spectra from RAVE survey

Initial results from Dragonfly stellar interferometer

Abstract

This edition of the Australian Astronomical Observatory Observer contains articles on the commissioning of the new SAMI instrument giving the first hexabundle galaxy spectra; galaxy parameter variations across and through the 6dFGS Fundamental Plane; an introduction to the new Dragonfly stellar interferometer; an update on the RAdial VElocity (RAVE) survey at half a million spectra; the Magellanic Quasars Survey; the Integrated Photonic Spectrograph's first look at the heart of the Scorpion; using AAOMega to measure the age of the young open cluster IC2602; making MANIFEST fibres for the Giant Magellan Telescope and a Voyage through Filaments of Galaxies. The Observer also contains thoughts on diversity in the astronomy community and reports on the recent Supernovae and their Host Galaxies conference and the 2011 Science Meets Parliament. In addition there are the usual features of the AUSGO Corner, Epping News and Letter from Coona.