News

Invisible sunspots uncovered

A team of scientists have discovered that 44 percent of new sunspots forming in the West of the Sun are invisible to our best telescopes.

VO Desktop new software product beta release

AstroGrid's new software product - VO Desktop - which replaces and upgrades the existing prototype AstroGrid user interface is currently being beta tested by members of the astronomy community.

IPHAS IDR released via AstroGrid

The IPHAS Initial Data Release is available at http://idr.iphas.org

Workbench 2007.1.1 released

Version 2007.1.1 of Workbench, Astro Runtime and PLASTIC Hub is now available.

New version of Workbench released

Version 2006.4.rc1 of Workbench, Astro Runtime and PLASTIC Hub is now available.

Pluto stripped of its planet status

A vote at the International Astronomical Union in Prague has demoted the distant world - now the solar system has eight planets

Astronomers lean towards eight planets

New Scientist: After a heated public debate and subsequent closed-door negotiations, astronomers settle on a draft planet definition that would demote Pluto.

OSS Watch Development Officer (.5 FTE)

OSSWatch are looking for a part-time (.5 fte) Development Officer to manage data gathering activities on open source deployments across UK higher and further education.

OSS Watch Research Officer (Software Development)

OSSWatch are looking for a Research Officer to join our team in order to provide advice and guidance on open source software development methods to projects based in UK higher and further education.

IAU Draft definition of "planet"

The world's astronomers, under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), have concluded two years of work defining the difference between "planets" and the smaller "solar system bodies" such as comets and asteroids. If the definition is approved by the astronomers gathered 14-25 August 2006 at the IAU General Assembly in Prague, our Solar System will include 12 planets, with more to come: eight classical planets that dominate the system, three planets in a new and growing category of "plutons" - Pluto-like objects - and Ceres. Pluto remains a planet and is the prototype for the new category of "plutons."

Update on Themes at eSI

The e-Science Institute is pleased to announce the third theme in its rolling programme on the topic "Adoption of e-Research technologies: From prototype to commodity". And eSI is now calling for proposals for themes to be run over the next two years commencing in January 2007.

New Workbench Released

Workbench 2006.3 Release Candidate 1 is available for download