help wanted
You may recall an earlier post about the Aurora Watch service, which helpfully and conveniently notifies you about the possible appearance of the Aurora Borealis. I have just had this e-mail warning about the possible closure of the service, so, if you have ever felt the urge to see the Northern Lights, please send a message of support. All details in the mailing:
Picture taken from the AuroraWatch website: http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch/ and taken by John Gilmour in Monikie, north of Dundee.
Dear AuroraWatch subscribers
Recently, the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC)reviewed its policy in respect of UK solar-terrestrial physics funding. PPARC has decided that it will "maintain a presence inground-based solar-terrestrial physics" but "withdraw earlier [than planned] from ...a number of solar-terrestrial physics facilities."
As a result, as of April 2007, the UK sub-auroral magnetometer network(SAMNET) will no longer be funded as a UK national facility. PPARChas suggested that the Lancaster University SAMNET team apply for alternative support, but future funding is by no means guaranteed.
Clearly, if SAMNET closes down the AuroraWatch service will cease to operate entirely. Over the next few weeks, the Lancaster team will be making the case to try and reverse PPARC's decision to stop funding SAMNET as a UK national facility. In this crucial period, messages of support from AuroraWatch subscribers could make a very real difference to our case!
If you would like to show your support for the AuroraWatch service, please send an email to me (j.wild@lancaster.ac.uk) indicating why you do not wish the SAMNET and AuroraWatch service to be discontinued.
I will then collate the responses and forward them to PPARC. It does not need to be a lengthy email - a short message will make more impact than no message at all!
However, when composing your message you might consider mentioning some/all of the following points:- how long you have been an AuroraWatch subscriber- the basis of your interest in the aurora (e.g. school pupil/student, teacher, amateur astronomer, radio amateur, interested member of the public)- whether you have ever seen the Aurora as a result of an AuroraWatch alert. It is also vitally important to give your name and geographic location (i.e. county). Please contact me if you have any questions or require further guidance - every message counts!
Finally, it has probably been some time since you last received an AuroraWatch alert, but this doesn't mean that the AuroraWatch service is not working! SAMNET is automatically searching for auroral activity over the UK 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, the Sun is currently approaching the quietest part of its 11 year activity cycle. Over the next couple of years, solar activity will begin to pick up again, increasing the likelihood of aurora over the UK. If you would like AuroraWatch to be operating during this period of increased auroral activity, please support us by responding to this message!
Best regards,Dr Jim Wild
mailto:j.wild@lancaster.ac.uk
(and on behalf of the SAMNET/AuroraWatch team)
posted by Lampy @ 4/24/2006 02:39:00 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home