Number 37, February 2006 




Contents:

1)  FUSE Operations Continue to Improve
2)  FUSE Goes to AAS 207
3)  Results Announced for Cycle 7 GI Programs
4)  FOAC to Meet in Late-March
5)  Seeking FUSE Science Highlights for Public Outreach



1)  FUSE Operations Continue to Improve

There has been significant improvement in FUSE operations using the 
one-reaction-wheel control mode since science operations were re-started on
November 1, 2005. Since restarting operations on January 3rd, after the holiday
hiatus,  we have been in continuous operations with almost no problems. Our 
target acquisition and guiding performance has improved since implementing
revised planning software that helps us better avoid periods of marginal 
stability. As a point of reference, almost 700 Ksec of guided science data 
were garnered in January, about 50% more than the previous two months combined. 
The achieved efficiency (conservatively defined for FUSE as actual science 
observing time divided by the wall clock time) was 25% for the month of January, 
only marginally below the ~30% mission average value for the efficiency.  This 
is excellent performance in the one-wheel mode.  With Cycle 7 target inputs 
now in place, we look ahead to much better things in the rest of 2006. 

See the latest FUSE Mission Status Report for more information:

     http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu/facts/misstat.html


2)  FUSE Goes to AAS 207

The 207th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, held in Washington DC 
this past January, was a showcase of FUSE scientific results.  A special oral
session of FUSE science summary talks (#193) was held Thursday morning 1/12/06, 
and a related poster session contained 22 papers.  In all more than 40 FUSE
science presentations occurred throughout the meeting. A summary page of photos
and many presentations from the meeting (in PDF format) have been posted on the 
web at the FUSE site, or go directly to:

   http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu/aas207/AAS_207/AAS207.html

The breadth of the presented results is really quite impressive. Thanks to 
those who have made their materials available in this way.


3)  Results Announced for Cycle 7 GI Programs

NASA has announced the results of the Cycle 7 GI proposal review.  A total of 
81 proposals were submitted, requesting a total of 10.4 Msec.  Standard 
proposals oversubscribed the available time by a factor of about 3.5. NASA 
has selected a total of 48 proposals (34 Standard, 14 Survey/Supplementary) 
in four broad scientific categories (cool stars and protoplanetary disks, 
hot stars, extragalactic, and interstellar medium and nebulae).  Lists of the 
successful proposals and the approved targets are posted on the FUSE 
GI web site:

   http://fusegi.pha.jhu.edu/

Phase 2 files for these programs were due Jan. 31, and some of the available
Cycle 7 targets are already making their way into observing timelines.

NASA plans to release the call for Cycle 8 proposals in July, with a proposal 
due date in mid-September 2006.  Details will be announced in a later
newsletter and on the ROSES 2006 web site.


4)  FOAC to Meet in Late-March

The FUSE Observers Advisory Committee, or FOAC, is scheduled to meet at JHU
on March 31, 2006.  The community is reminded that the FOAC is your voice into
the FUSE project!  If you have questions or comments at the project level, you
should contact Jay Holberg (FOAC chair, holberg@vega.lpl.arizona.edu ), George 
Sonneborn (NASA Project Scientist, george.sonneborn-1@nasa.gov ), or any
member of the FOAC.  Full membership of the FOAC is listed on the FUSE GI 
support site:

   http://fusegi.pha.jhu.edu/fuse/FOAC.html


5)  Seeking FUSE Science Highlights for Public Outreach

As part of FUSE public outreach activities, we are looking to expand our 
Science Summaries web page.  This forum pairs an image or graphic or two with 
a simple page of text, describing various science results at a level that 
the general public can understand and appreciate.  Examples of existing 
Science Summaries can be viewed here:

   http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu/wpb/science.html


FUSE has been used to accomplish a tremendous range of science, and we would 
like the Science Summaries page to contain a representative sampling of FUSE 
science results.  If you have recent FUSE results you think would be appropriate 
for public outreach, and can devote a small amount of time to drafting and 
reviewing of materials, please contact Luciana Bianchi (bianchi@pha.jhu.edu) 
or Bill Blair (wpb@pha.jhu.edu).  We look forward to hearing from you!

The Observer's Electronic Newsletter is published by the FUSE project and is aimed at the FUSE user community.

Editor: B-G Andersson, FUSE Guest Investigator Officer.

The FUSE Project is managed by the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Astrophysical Sciences in Baltimore, MD, for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The FUSE Principal Investigator is Dr. Warren Moos, the FUSE Program Manager at JHU is Mr. Randy Ewing, and the NASA Project Scientist for FUSE is Dr. George Sonneborn.

Further information about the FUSE Guest Investigator Program can be obtained from: Dr. George Sonneborn.

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