October 2018
Joanna Thomas-Osip
Science and Evolution of
Gemini Observatory 2018
Conference a Success!
The July 2018 Science and Evolution of Gemini Observatory meeting on
San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf celebrated many milestones, shared
exciting science, and looked at future strategies for the Observatory.
In July over 100 participants gathered in San Francisco, California, to share their recent success-
es with Gemini. There was a lot to celebrate, including our new partnership with the Republic
of Korea (see article on page 39). With the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey (GPIES)
coming to a close, we also enjoyed a full session on results from the survey and a discussion of
the future evolution of the instrument. Other exciting scientific results reported (the confer-
ence proceedings are available online) included details about ‘Oumuamua —the first known
interstellar asteroid — and the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave detec-
tion from a neutron star merger. In addition to sessions on new instrumentation (both facility
and visiting), we discussed synergies with other observatories, such as the Large Synoptic Sur-
vey Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, as well as a strategic plan for Gemini as we
move forward into the era of multi-messenger astronomy and transient follow-ups.
Science and Evolution of
Gemini Observatory 2018
conference participants.
Credit: All photos in this
article by Shari Lifson
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Extracurricular activities included a tutorial on GMOS IFU data reduction, “Under the Hood”
talks on the practical aspects related to running a Large and Long Program, and a Speed Col-
laboration workshop. The Gemini User’s Committee also held its annual meeting in conjunc-
tion with this conference.
Joanna Thomas-Osip is the Head of the Science User Support Department at Gemini.
She can be reached at: [email protected]
GeminiFocus
January 2019 / 2018 Year in Review