Gemini staff contributions
News for Users
A compilation of brief news items from throughout 2017 of
relevance to the users of Gemini.
JANUARY 2018
Update on Governance Meetings
Beginning on November 9th, the Science and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC),
AURA Oversight Council for Gemini (AOC-G), and Gemini Board of Directors (Board) met
in La Serena, Chile, for nine action-packed days of very productive governance meetings.
All three committees praised the progress the Observatory continues to make, and the
dedication of the Gemini staff. Although the STAC and Board reports (which you can find
posted on the Gemini external website) tend to be a bit terse and down to business, the
STAC did use bullet points to congratulate the Observatory staff on several fronts, includ-
ing the successful installation and commissioning run of the new laser at Gemini South,
the dome shutter repair at Gemini North, and successfully managing the complicated
follow-up observations of GW170817.
The AOC-G, which tends to be a bit more effusive in their reports, noted that “Once again,
the management and staff of Gemini are performing at an outstanding level and the
entire Gemini team is clearly operating very efficiently with excellent science return, on
modest resources.”
Speaking of modest resources, all three committees recognized the critical importance
of not only maintaining the current level of funding, but of stepping up efforts to expand
the Partnership and increasing both our operating and development budgets. Looking
for new partners has always been a Board prerogative, but at this meeting the Board di-
rected the Observatory to take the lead. We fully intend to do so, as our recent efforts with
Israel and Korea demonstrate.
Another common theme brought up by all three committees was the strategic impor-
tance of adaptive optics and the recognition that this is a real strength for Gemini. In
January 2018 / 2017 Year in Review
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