_                   
                                                         |_|                  
      V   V   SSSS   OOO   PPPP                 \__      |_|      __/         
      V   V  S      O   O  P   P                   --____/ \____--            
      V   V   SSS   O   O  PPPP                    _ _ _ --- _ _ _            
       V V       S  O   O  P                      |_|_|_|  @|_|_|_|           
        V    SSSS    OOO   P                             o-o                  
                                                          /                   
      ***  N    E    W    S  ***                        <)                    

VSOP AO3

The deadline for AO3 proposals is this Friday, October 1st, at 24 UT.

The cover sheets must be submitted as the completed latex template as information related to the proposal is extracted from this file. The scientific and technical justification *may* be submitted by e-mail (separate from the cover sheets) as a postscript document -- see section 4.3 of the AO for more details. Proposers wishing to use this option are recommended to submit proposals a day or two before the deadline so that any problems that arise in printing the cover sheets at ISAS can be resolved. Proposers wishing to submit their proposals by post or courier are reminded it is their responsibility to make sure that the proposal arrives at ISAS before the deadline. Any questions by proposers can be e-mailed to the VSOP help desk.

HALCA STATUS

HALCA was effectively shut down for a few days last week by problems with the antenna used at the Kagoshima Space Center to up-link commands to the satellite. These problems were compounded by a strong typhoon that caused damage across Kyushu and southern Honshu. Four VSOP observations had to be postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

VSOG STAFFING

David Murphy arrived in Japan from JPL last week to take up a six-month Visiting Professorship at ISAS. Dave was given a warm welcome, as unseasonably warm temperatures were recorded across the country, but was soon brought back to earth as one of the four VSOP observations postponed last week was from a monitoring program for which Dave is Principal Investigator!

VSOP SYMPOSIUM

The abstract submission deadline for the VSOP Symposium is Friday, October 15th. The latex template for the abstracts was included in the second announcement and is available from the VSOP website. Those considering attending the post-conference tour to the sumo may be interested to learn that Musashimaru took out the recent Tokyo tournament, clinching victory with an exciting win over fellow yokozuna ("Grand Champion") Wakanohana. The other two Yokozuna, Takanohana and Hawaiian-born Akebono, withdrew from the tournament after only a few days with injuries, and Wakanohana finished with a poor win-loss record after also sustaining an injury during the tournament. All three may sit out the next tournament (in Kyushu in November), but should be back fresh and raring to go in next January's Tokyo tournament!

                Editors: Phil Edwards and Hirax Hirabayashi