*********************** * Second Announcement * *********************** IAU Colloquium 196: TRANSITS OF VENUS: NEW VIEWS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND GALAXY 7-11 June 2004, Preston, UK Dear Colleague, We are very pleased to send you this Second Announcement for IAU Colloquium 196, "Transits of Venus: New Views of the Solar System and Galaxy", to be held in Preston, Lancashire, UK, 7-11 June, 2004. We extend a warm invitation to you to come to Preston for this meeting in the week of the 2004 Transit of Venus. The meeting provides an opportunity to observe this rare astronomical phenomenon in its prime historical venue, while having discussion of its historical and current context and relation to modern astrophysics. The scientific and social programme is detailed in this announcement, which also includes information about registration, accommodation, contributed papers, and IAU Grants. For those who have not seen our First Announcement, please find this and further information on our conference website: http://www.transit-of-venus.org.uk/conference In this second announcement, we give detailed information under the following section headings, with three pro-formas appended: (1) Conference Programme including social programme (2) Registration and payment methods (3) Accommodation and travel details (4) Contributed talks and posters (5) Important deadlines (Appendix A) Registration form (Appendix B) IAU grant application form (Appendix C) LaTeX template for abstract submission We hope that the information in this announcement will enable you fully to plan your participation in this IAU Colloquium. However, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Local Organising Committee (LOC) using the following addresses: E-mail: tov@uclan.ac.uk Telephone or fax: Local Organising Committee, Transit of Venus, Conference and Events Management, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK tel: +44 (0) 1772 892654 fax: +44 (0) 1772 892977 OR to the LOC chair: Prof. Gordon Bromage Centre for Astrophysics University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 2HE, UK tel: +44 (0) 1772 893568 fax: +44 (0) 1772 892996 This announcement and other information is available on our conference website: http://www.transit-of-venus.org.uk/conference We look forward to meeting you in Preston in June. With kind regards, Don Kurtz and Gordon Bromage Co-chairs of the SOC On behalf of the Scientific Organising Committee: Gordon Bromage (UK), Nicole Capitaine (France), Dale Cruikshank (USA), Suzanne Debarbat (France), Steven Dick (USA), Mike Feast (South Africa), Julieta Fierro (Mexico), Naoteru Gouda (Japan), Don Kurtz (UK), Anne Lemaitre (Belgium), Mikhail Marov (Russia), Wayne Orchiston (Australia), Jay Pasachoff (USA), Luisa Pigatto (Italy). ****************************************************************** (1) CONFERENCE PROGRAMME including Social Programme ****************************************************************** DAY 0: SUNDAY, 6 June 2004 16:00-20:00 registration open 18:00-20:00 welcome reception DAY 1: MONDAY, 7 June 2004 The meeting will start at 09:00 BST (08:00 UT) Session 1 (morning): TRANSITS OF VENUS: INTRODUCTORY REVIEWS and DETERMINATION OF THE A.U. (2 x 90 mins, separated by coffee break) I.1 Keynote talk: Jeremiah Horrocks and the Transit of Venus (A.Chapman, Oxford University) I.2 The astronomical unit now (M. Standish, JPL) C.1 The tear-drop effect and observations of transits of Venus; limits to the precision of transits in determining the A.U. C.2 Eclipse and transit predictions C.3 Historical Chinese records and their application to the above C.4 Richer, Cassini and the determination of the solar parallax from the Mars opposition of 1672 Session 2 (afternoon): 18th/19th CENTURY TRANSITS OF VENUS: HISTORY, RESULTS and LEGACY (2 x 90 mins, separated by refreshment break) C.5 1761, Mason & Dixon and all that! I.3 Captain Cook's 1769 expedition (W. Orchiston, AAO) C.6 George III 1769, Mason 1769, etc. C.7 The first international campaigns: lessons learned I.4 19th-century American expeditions (S. Dick, USNO) C.8 1874/1882 campaigns and the A.U. Monday EVENING: Mayor's reception (buffet meal and drinks) in the neoclassical Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston City Centre. The museum and exhibitions will be fully open to participants and guests during the evening. The event is free to registered participants and registered guests. DAY 2: TUESDAY, 8 June 2004 This day will be centred on observing the Transit of Venus beginning at about 06:20 BST (05:20 UT) and lasting for nearly 6 hours. Live observations will be conducted through the telescopes of the University of Central Lancashire's Alston Observatory near Preston. There will also be relayed observations from other sites. Breakfast and relaxation will be at the Victorian Alston Hall next door to the observatory. There will be a visit during the later stages of the transit to Much Hoole Church and Carr House (1613) where Horrocks made his seminal 1639 observations. This includes visiting the actual room where it is believed Horrocks conducted his observations (by kind permission of the owners of Carr House). The cost of these events and transport is included in the registration fee. You are most welcome to bring your own telescope to observe the transit. If you would like to do this, please let us know by email to tov@uclan.ac.uk. There will be plenty of room at Alston Hall/Observatory to accommodate participants' own telescopes but we need to know the details in advance, please. Participants should note that we will have sufficient telescopes with filters for everyone to witness different stages of the transit by eye, but that the first contact, ingress and egress will be mainly displayed via projection and webcam given the numbers wanting to see it all together. After an afternoon for rest, the day will finish with a conference banquet at the beautiful Hoghton Tower. This is a 16th century manor house where Shakespeare started his working life (~1580) and where in 1617 James I was served a loin of beef that he so liked, he knighted it on the spot, Sir Loin. Our top table for the banquet will be the very table where the deed was done! The visit will include tours of the manor house, underground passages, wine cellar and dungeons, and time to wander round the extensive gardens. The short 10-km journey from the university to Hoghton Tower goes via the site of a crucial battle in the English Civil War, the Battle of Preston 1648. The cost of the banquet and social evening at Hoghton Tower is 40 UK POUNDS; please indicate your attendance on the Registration Form, which is appended to this Announcement (Appendix A). The price includes the multi-course banquet, sherry and wines, tours and transport from the university campus. DAY 3: WEDNESDAY, 9 June 2004 N.B. The Wednesday morning session will start mid-morning after coffee time, given the late night previously. Session 3 (morning): TRANSITS AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM (1 x 90 min) I.5 Mikhail Lomonosov and the discovery of the atmosphere of Venus during the 1761 transit (M. Marov, Keldysh Institute) C.9 Transits of Mercury I.6 Precision time and rotation of the Earth (D. McCarthy, USNO) Session 4 (afternoon) NEW VIEWS OF PLANETARY SYSTEMS (2 x 90 min, with refreshment break) C.10 Planet finding missions C.11 The Venus Express mission; future Solar/heliospheric missions C.12 The solar system barycentre; implications for pulsar timing and exo-planets C.13 Observing Venus during this transit to model extra-solar planet transits Wednesday EVENING: Invited talk and Jeremiah Horrocks Memorial Public Lecture: The Milky Way in 3D (M. Perryman, European Space Agency) An update of Michael's spectacular invited discourse lecture from the Manchester IAU General Assembly. Those who have seen it will want to see this lecture again in the Harrington Lecture Theatre; for those who haven't, this is definitely not to be missed. For participants and accompanying guests, the cost of this lecture is included in the registration fee. DAY 4: THURSDAY, 10 June 2004 Session 5 (morning): PARALLAXES: SETTING THE SCENE (2 x 90 min) C.14 Historical parallax observations and methods I.7 The current ground-based parallax work and its significance (D. Monet, USNO) I.8 The special problems and results of HST parallaxes (F. Benedict, Texas) Session 6 (afternoon): NEW VIEWS OF THE GALAXY: PARALLAXES, DISTANCES and IMPLICATIONS FOR ASTROPHYSICS (2 x 90 min) I.9 The Pleiades question, the definition of the zero-age main sequence, and implications (F. van Leeuwen, Cambridge) I.10 Chromatic effects in Hipparcos parallaxes and implications for distance scales (D. Pourbaix, IIA Brussels) C.15 Distance scales in the Galaxy I.11 Pulsar parallaxes (Walter Brisken, NRAO) Thursday EVENING: There will be an optional excursion to the village of Hurst Green, in the beautiful Lancashire countryside (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) 25 km from Preston. There will be time to walk through the pretty village of Hurst Green, Shire Lane and the enchanted forest of Dean Brook where JRR Tolkien strolled and reputedly dreamed up The Shire for The Lord of the Rings, and/or walk to Stoneyhurst College just outside the village, a 400-year-old private Catholic school where Tolkien's sons and Gerard Manley Hopkins taught, and where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a schoolboy. Note that sunset is not until 21:30 local time, and civil twilight ends at 22:30. We will have an informal meal at the Shireburn Arms overlooking the Ribble Valley; and you can enjoy a pint of real ale at the bar which JRR Tolkien himself frequented. The cost of the meal and social evening will be 20 UK POUNDS, including transport from and to university campus, 3 course meal and wine. They should be ordered on the Registration Form which is appended to this announcement (Appendix A). Day 5: FRIDAY, 11 June 2004 Session 7 (morning): NEW VIEWS OF THE GALAXY: FUTURE SPACE and GROUND-BASED PROGRAMMES (2 x 90 min) I.12 Microarcsecond astrometry with GAIA: the solar system, the Galaxy and beyond (C. Bailer-Jones, MPI) I.13 Radial Velocities with GAIA (M. Cropper, MSSL) I.14 Jasmine (N. Gouda, NAOJ) C.16 Current and future ground-based programmes Session 8 (afternoon): DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING SESSION (1x90 min) I.15 Panel discussion and/or Meeting Summary (speaker/leader to be decided by SOC) The meeting will conclude by 16:00 BST (15:00 UT). ****************************************************************** (2) REGISTRATION and PAYMENT METHODS ****************************************************************** To participate in the meeting, please register according to the following instructions. The registration form available at the end of this announcement (Appendix A) may be filled in and sent to tov@uclan.ac.uk or posted or faxed to: Transit of Venus, Conference and Events Management, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK. tel: +44 (0) 1772 892654 fax: +44 (0) 1772 892977 Alternatively, you can use the registration form available at the internet address http://www.transit-of-venus.org.uk/conference REGISTRATION FEES -- PARTICIPANTS AND REGISTERED GUESTS The registration fee for participants is 140 UK POUNDS. The fee for accompanying registered guests is 50 UK POUNDS. There will be no late registration fee surcharge, but we do please urge you to register by 15 March 2004 so that we can plan numbers for observing the Transit, accommodation, meals, poster space, and so on, all in good time. Registrations may be accepted up to the time of the meeting. However, please note that numbers for the banquet (not to be missed!), public lecture and perhaps other social events will be limited, and so unfortunately late registrants may not be able to attend these. The registration fee for PARTICIPANTS is 140 UK POUNDS and covers the following: --- attendance at all conference sessions --- copy of the conference proceedings --- conference bag, badge, abstract booklet, maps, brochures, etc. --- all coffee/tea breaks --- welcome reception on 6 June --- Mayoral reception in the Harris Museum and Art Gallery on 7 June, including buffet meal and drinks --- transport from university to Alston Hall and Alston Observatory on 8 June for the Transit of Venus, full English breakfast, and transport to Much Hoole Church and Carr House where Jeremiah Horrocks made his seminal observations of the Transit of Venus 1639 --- Jeremiah Horrocks Memorial Lecture on 9 June --- internet access at Conference Venue, Harrington Building --- use of other conference facilities, poster boards, information and advice services Please note that only registered participants and registered guests will be able to participate in social activities listed above (including events on the Transit Day). Similarly, only registered participants and registered guests will be able to subscribe to the conference dinner at Hoghton Tower on June 8th and the social evening at Hurst Green on June 10th. (For details of these events, see the programme listed above). The registration fee for REGISTERED GUESTS is 50 UK POUNDS and includes: --- conference bag, badge, maps, brochures, etc. --- coffee/tea breaks --- welcome reception on 6 June --- Mayoral reception in the Harris Museum and Art Gallery on 7 June, including buffet meal and drinks --- transport from university to Alston Hall and Alston Observatory on 8 June for the Transit of Venus, full English breakfast, and transport to Much Hoole Church and Carr House where Jeremiah Horrocks made his seminal observations of the Transit of Venus 1639 --- Jeremiah Horrocks Memorial Lecture on 9 June --- information and advice services CONFERENCE PACKAGE INCLUDING FEE AND ACCOMMODATION We have arranged a Conference Package including Conference Fee and five nights' single-room en-suite accommodation on campus at the University. We strongly recommend this option for convenience and value for money. Please see the Registration Booking Form (Appendix A) and the following section of this announcement (Accommodation and Travel) for full details. PAYMENT METHODS The total payment including conference fee, costs of University accommodation (if applicable) and payment for social events, should be paid to the University at the same time as sending us your Registration Booking Form (Appendix A). We will send you an email in confirmation of your registration. If you do not receive such a confirmation within one week of your sending us the booking form, please email us at tov@uclan.ac.uk Receipts for payments will be given to you on arrival in Preston at the conference registration desk in Harrington Building. If you need a receipt earlier than this, just let us know. We are pleased to accept three different methods of payment. If you have any queries about the methods of payment, please contact the LOC as indicated at the start of this announcement, preferably by email to tov@uclan.ac.uk. (1) Cheque, in UK Pounds Sterling, made payable to: University of Central Lancashire. (2) Direct credit transfer in UK Pounds Sterling, credited to: Bank name: HSBC Address: 40 Fishergate, Preston, PR1 2DE, United Kingdom Bank Account Name: University of Central Lancashire Account Number: 31451669 Sort Code: 40 37 25 Swift Code: MIDLGB22 International Bank Account Number: GB77MIDL40372531451669 (3) Credit Card or Debit Card, in UK Pounds Sterling: Please FAX your card details to +44 (0) 1772 892977. This Fax number is to a machine which is only accessible to members of the University Conferences Events Team. The details you must supply by fax are as follows: Quote IAU Colloquium 196. (a) Name of participant and of any registered guests. (b) Total amount to be debited from your card. (c) Card Number and (if applicable) Issue Number. (d) Card Type e.g. Mastercard, Visa, Switch. (e) Cardholder's Name as it appears on the card. (f) Expiry Date of card. (g) Address of Cardholder. (h) Signature of Cardholder and date. SUBSTITUTION AND CANCELLATION After registration and payment, if you are unfortunately unable to attend the conference, you may make a substitution at any time prior to the start of the conference. Please contact the LOC as soon as possible, preferably by email to tov@uclan.ac.uk You may cancel your conference booking if necessary, up to fourteen days prior to the start of the conference, by notifying us in writing, by signed fax or email. We will refund your payments in UK pounds, less an administration fee of 20 UK Pounds. After this date, regrettably, we cannot make any refunds for cancellations. SPECIAL NEEDS INCLUDING SPECIAL DIETS All catering organised for this conference will include options to fulfil the requirements of vegetarians. In addition, we can accommodate most other dietary requirements if these are indicated to us on the Registration Booking Form. The University of Central Lancashire particularly welcomes participants with special needs. All buildings have wheelchair access and various other special facilities. We are happy to clarify these arrangements if you wish, prior to your making a booking: contact the LOC preferably by email to tov@uclan.ac.uk QUALITY ASSURED AND DATA PROTECTION At the end of the conference, you will be invited to complete an evaluation form for us. To ensure we maintain a high quality of service, we welcome your comments and suggestions and would ask that you take the time to complete these details and return them to us. The information you provide on the booking form will be held on a database to process the confirmation of your place. You may also indicate on the Registration Booking Form if you wish to receive details of future Astronomy conferences courses and events at the University of Central Lancashire. We will not pass your details to any companies outside the University group for marketing or any other purposes. If in the future you wish to stop receiving any mailings, just write to Conference and Events Management, University of Central Lancashire. ********************************************************************* (3) ACCOMMODATION and TRAVEL ********************************************************************* UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATION We have reserved a considerable number of rooms on campus in Roeburn Hall (a UCLan Residence built in 1995) within easy walking distance (5-10 minutes) of the conference venue. Transport to the Transit and to the Hoghton Tower banquet etc. will start from this residence. We therefore strongly encourage this option. Please note that no smoking is allowed anywhere within Roeburn Hall. The residence provides accommodation in single en-suite bedrooms, arranged in groups of 5 or 6 within flats. There is a sitting/dining room and a fully equipped kitchen in each flat for self-catering. The residence is near the West Coast Main Line Railway but the building is triple-glazed. Each room and flat is cleaned and serviced daily, and tea/coffee etc and toiletries pack in each room is replenished as needed. Each bedroom has internet access, enabled through purchase of cards which will be available at the registration desk. All bedrooms are supplied with bedclothes and towels, and are en suite with shower, wc and sink. Each kitchen includes fridge, freezer, cooker, microwave, kettle, pans for cooking, crockery, cutlery and utensils. There are a number of shops nearby for purchasing food and other supplies. You may ask us to accommodate named colleagues/guests in the same flat as yourself and we will do our best to arrange this to your satisfaction. Full English breakfasts (at additional cost) will be available in nearby university refectories every morning. Roeburn Hall and the rest of the university city campus is within 15 minutes' walk of a wide range of facilities in Preston City Centre, including many restaurants, cafes and pubs, shops and open-air markets, the Harris Museum and Art Gallery and the Preston Guildhall, and the main-line Railway Station and Bus Station. This Roeburn Hall accommodation should be reserved on the Registration Booking Form (Appendix A below). The Conference Package includes accommodation at Roeburn for the five nights arriving Sunday June 6th and departing Friday June 11th. Additional nights' accommodation, both before and after the conference, may also be reserved using the booking form. CAR PARKING ON CAMPUS Car parking permits, free to registered participants, will be available at reception and at the registration desk. There are large car parks at both the conference venue (Harrington Building) and Roeburn Hall. HOTELS Participants who prefer hotel accommodation are requested to make their own bookings by contacting hotels directly by email, phone, fax or internet, as indicated below. The following selection of hotels is by no means exhaustive but includes some (indicated by asterisk *) with special University price reductions for conference delegates. In order to obtain these special prices please ask for `University of Central Lancashire rate'. Please note that these suggestions do not constitute recommendations by the university. Prices are subject to change and should be confirmed directly with the hotels. Some hotels offer reduced rates at weekends. The following selection lists hotels in order of increasing distance from the conference venue. Further details of these and of a wider range of city hotels and B&B accommodations may be obtained from the Preston City Tourist Information Centre www.visitpreston.com tel: +44 (0) 1772 253731. All prices are in UK Pounds, for SINGLE occupancy, en suite room, per person per night Bed and Breakfast, unless otherwise indicated. All establishments have car parks and have non-smoking rooms available on request. For DOUBLE room rates and weekend rates, please contact the hotel or ask for advice from the LOC, Conference and Events Management (contact details at the beginning of this Announcement). 1. Holiday Inn * The Ringway, Preston. 129 rooms. Tel: +44 (0) 870 400 9066 E-mail: reservations-preston@bc.com Website: www.holiday-inn.co.uk Cost: 62.00 Taxi 5 mins, Walking time 15 mins. Modern City-centre hotel convenient for university; small car park; room service; modem connections in bedrooms. Disabled facilities. 2. Whitburn House Hotel * 111 Garstang Road, Fulwood, Preston. 13 rooms. Tel: +44 (0) 1772 717973 E-mail: whitburnhouse1@aol.co.uk Website: www.whitburnhousehotel.co.uk Cost: basic room 25.00, en-suite room 35.00. Taxi 5-10 mins, Walking time 20 mins. Unclassified small Victorian private hotel on A6 opposite Moor Park, Preston's largest and oldest park (1834), near Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory. 3. Withy Trees Guest House * 175 Garstang Road, Fulwood, Preston. 9 rooms. Tel: +44 (0) 1772 717693 E-mail: info@withytrees.co.uk Website: www.withytrees.co.uk Cost: 34.00 Taxi 10 mins, Walking time 25 mins. Small car park. AA 3-diamonds-rated Georgian Guest House on A6 to the north of Moor Park 4. Claremont Hotel 516 Blackpool Road, Ashton, Preston. 10 rooms. Tel: +44 (0) 1772 729738 E-mail: claremonthotel@btinternet.com Websiet: www.claremonthotelpreston.co.uk Cost: 38.50 Taxi 10 mins, Walking time 25 mins. AA 2-star-rated Hotel near Ashton Park; garden; modem connections. 5. Park Restaurant Hotel 209 Tulketh Road, Ashton, Preston. 14 rooms. Tel: +44 (0) 1772 726250 E-mail: parkrestauranthotel@hotmail.com Website: www.theparkpreston.com Cost: 42.00 Taxi 10 mins, Walking time 30 mins. AA 5-diamonds-rated establishment near Ashton Park; room service. 6. Preston Marriott 418 Garstang Road, Broughton, Preston. 150 rooms. Tel: +44 (0) 1772 864087 Fax: +44 (0) 1772 861728 E-mail: reservations.preston@marriotthotels.co.uk Website: www.marriott.com/marriott/BLKBP Cost: 85.00 Driving time 15-20 mins. 4 miles from UCLan. AA 4-star Hotel convenient to M6 motorway junction. Victorian-style house in 11 acres of gardens and woodland; pool and leisure club included; gardens; room service; modem points in bedrooms. Disabled facilities. 7. Barton Grange Hotel Garstang Road, Broughton, Preston. 50 rooms. Tel: +44 (0) 1772 862551 Fax: +44 (0) 1772 861267 E-mail: stay@bartongramgehotel.com Website: www.bartongrangehotel.co.uk Cost: 68.00 Driving time 20-25 mins. 5 miles from UCLan. AA 3-star traditional Hotel. Pool and leisure centre; room service; garden and garden centre; walled-garden restaurant; modem points in bedrooms. Disabled facilities available. TRAVELLING TO PRESTON Preston is England's `Queen's Jubilee 2002 City'. It is a small, ancient city situated near the geographical centre of Great Britain and on the edge of breathtakingly beautiful countryside. Preston has a major rail junction with fast direct trains to London, Edinburgh, Manchester and most other major cities. It is on the M6 north-south motorway with fast road connections throughout the country. It is just one hour away by road or train from Manchester International Airport, the UK's third largest airport serving many international destinations. Overseas visitors are recommended to arrive at Manchester Airport, which has an integral rail station. There are two direct trains per hour from 07:00 to 22:00 (except Sundays one per hour) and one every two hours during the night every night. Alternatively, take a taxi or a hire car from Manchester Airport. All major car hire companies are represented at the airport. The journey time to Preston by rail or road is approximately one hour. Further details will be available later, on the conference web site. From London, the direct trains run every hour during most of the day, are operated by Virgin Trains departing from Euston Station, and take 3 hours. Train tickets are much cheaper if booked well in advance. Driving time by private car on the motorway from London to Preston (M1 then M6) is about 4.5 hours. There are also buses from Victoria Coach Station London, to Preston bus station. TRANSPORT WITHIN PRESTON Both Preston rail station and Preston central bus station are 15-20 minutes' walk from Roeburn Hall and the university campus. Taxis take about 5 minutes and cost about 3 UK Pounds. Coach transport will be provided during the conference from Roeburn Hall on the university campus, to Alston and Much Hoole on the Transit Day, and to Hoghton Tower and Hurst Green for the social evening events. WEATHER The weather in Preston in early June is temperate. Daytime temperatures are likely to be in the range 15-25 C, with overnight minima of 5-15 C. The total rainfall in Preston is about 1 m per year spread throughout the year with an average of 75 mm in June, so light rain is always possible. There will be live links during the transit at Alston Observatory from other observing sites in case of cloud at the time of the transit. Of course, in November 1639 Horrocks had to contend with this too; England is much cloudier in November than in June, and Horrocks successfully observed the transit. Let history be your guide! TOURISM BEFORE and AFTER THE CONFERENCE Situated in the heart of Lancashire, Preston is the gateway to the county's beautiful countryside and historical sights, and to the most stunning scenery in England. Preston is ideally situated for day trips to the Lake District National Park mountains (the jewel in the crown of the English countryside, only 1 hour away), to the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District National Parks, and to the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is on Preston's doorstep. The majestic scenery of Scotland is only 2-3 hours' journey away, and the dramatically beautiful city of Edinburgh only 3 hours by train. We strongly recommend sampling this splendour, perhaps by sharing a hire car after the conference to tour the area for a few days -- or a week or two. Tourist advice is available from the LOC and from Preston Tourist Information Centre, and will also be available at the conference registration desk. Two-thirds of Preston city area is given over to green parks and open spaces, and there is a thriving Marina Docklands modern development surrounding the largest single dock basin in Europe. The City was the home of the `teetotal' temperance movement, the birthplace of Richard Arkwright and of Nick Park, the home of Benjamin Franklin and now also home to the National Football Museum. Amongst other claims to fame, it boasts the tallest church spire in England, and in 2000 the first new canal for recreation and navigation to built in the country for over a century. Outside Preston, especially to the east and north, are numerous lovely stone villages, fells for hill walking, many traditional English pubs, and a large number of attractive historical sites. Preston is an ancient Craft Guild town with a history going back to 1179 and a spectacular Guild Merchant celebration every 20 years from then to this day. There was a Roman settlement at Penwortham, now a village contained within the city. The Battle of Preston during the English Civil War in 1648 decided the fate of King Charles I and the overthrow of the Monarchy. 750 buildings within the city are listed as being of important historical or architectural interest. Immediately following the Conference, Preston is holding an International City Festival (June 11-20) with a Jazz Festival, Proms in the Park, Shakespeare in the Park, the Riversway Water Festival, Business Fair and Multi-Cultural Dance Festival. ********************************************************************* (4) CONTRIBUTED TALKS AND POSTERS ********************************************************************* CALL FOR PAPERS We warmly invite you to submit titles and abstracts for contributed papers for this conference. We will particularly welcome suggestions for contributed oral papers in the subject areas indicated in the Conference Programme (Section 1 above, and on the web site). If you wish to present an oral contribution, please send your abstract to: tov@uclan.ac.uk by 29 February 2004 using the LaTeX template that is attached to this message in Appendix C. This template is also available from the web site. The SOC will send the results of their selection of talks by e-mail to participants by 1 April 2004. Contributions relevant to the meeting but not selected for a talk will be automatically accepted as posters. Contributed poster papers will have the same maximum allowed number of pages in the conference proceedings as oral contributions. There will be ample time for poster viewing during the conference. Invited speakers and authors of poster papers should send their abstract (using the LaTeX template) to: tov@uclan.ac.uk before 1 May 2004 for inclusion in the abstract booklet. The LaTeX template is attached below as Appendix C. It can also be downloaded from the web site. Participants who wish to apply for an IAU grant have a much tighter deadline of 31 January 2004 for their abstract submission - see APPENDIX B below. ********************************************************************* (5) IMPORTANT DEADLINES ********************************************************************* The following deadlines have been established in order to be able to organise the meeting in an efficient way. The LOC respectfully requests all intending participants to adhere to these deadlines. **** 31 January 2004: Applications for IAU grants (Abstract of contribution required: use LaTeX template provided in Appendix C below and on our conference web site. **** 15 February 2004: Results of IAU grant applications sent out **** 29 February 2004: Application for oral presentation as contributed talk (Abstract required. Use LaTeX template provided in Appendix C and on web page) **** 15 March 2004: Registration Deadline for participants and guests **** 1 April 2004: Results of the selection of contributed talks sent out to participants **** 1 May 2004: Deadline for Abstracts of invited talks and of posters The LOC kindly asks all participants to respect the above deadlines. ********************************************************************* (APPENDIX A) REGISTRATION FORM ********************************************************************* Please extract this Form, fill it in and send it to: tov@uclan.ac.uk postal address: Transit of Venus Conference and Events Management, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, United Kingdom. tel: +44 (0) 1772 892654 fax: +44 (0) 1772 892977 or alternatively complete the online registration form on: www.transit-of-venus.org.uk/conference ===================================== REGISTRATION FORM ------------------------------------- IAU Colloquium 196: Transits of Venus: New Views of the Solar System and Galaxy 7-11 June 2004, Preston, UK Last Name: First Name(s), as you wish to appear on name-badge etc: Institution, as you wish to appear on name-badge etc: Full Postal address: Telephone: Fax number: E-mail address: I agree that my email address can appear on list of participants: YES/NO ----------------------------------- Number of accompanying persons as registered guests: NONE/ONE/TWO Special food diet required (you or your guests)?: YES/NO (if yes, please give details): Special needs e.g. wheelchair access (you or your guests)?: YES/NO (if yes, please give details): ----------------------------------- I would like to present a paper (contributed talk or poster) (Note: invited speakers should fill in this part only if they also wish to contribute a poster paper). (Enter CONTRIBUTED TALK, POSTER or NONE) Paper: Title: I will send in the abstract to tov@uclan.ac.uk by means of the LaTeX template provided below at Appendix C. ----------------------------------- PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING ITEMS CAREFULLY Choose `Conference FEE' (and `Registered GUEST FEE(s)' if appropriate) OR one of the `Conference PACKAGES' indicating numbers of persons. Then check `Additional nights accommodation' if appropriate. Then check your requirements for SOCIAL EVENTS. Then calculate the TOTAL AMOUNT PAYABLE. Thank you. ------------------------------------ PARTICIPANT CONFERENCE FEE 140 UK POUNDS [ ] REGISTERED GUEST FEE (each) 50 UK POUNDS [ ] ------------------------------------ CONFERENCE PACKAGES including conference fee and 5 night's accommodation at Roeburn Hall, single en-suite room with self- catering facilities, for FIVE nights arriving Sunday June 6th departing Friday June 11th. (a) PARTICIPANT PACKAGE (NON-student) Self-catering only 265 UK POUNDS [ ] Full breakfasts + self-catering 285 UK POUNDS [ ] (b) STUDENT PARTICIPANT PACKAGE (Current valid student ID card needed) Self-catering only 240 UK POUNDS [ ] Full breakfasts + self-catering 260 UK POUNDS [ ] (c) REGISTERED GUEST PACKAGE Self-catering only 175 UK POUNDS [ ] Full breakfasts + self-catering 195 UK POUNDS [ ] ----------------------------------- I request that my single en-suite room in Roeburn Hall shares its kitchen/sitting/dining flat facilities with the following other participants/guests: ----------------------------------- ADDITIONAL NIGHTS' ACCOMMODATION in Roeburn Hall Indicate number of nights [ ] and which nights required e.g. June 5th, 11th, 12th: Cost per night per person: Non-student rate 30 UK Pounds including breakfasts; 25 UK Pounds S-C only. Student rate 25 UK Pounds including breakfasts; 20 UK Pounds S-C only. Please give total cost of additional nights' accommodation: ----------------------------------- I will make my OWN ARRANGEMENTS for hotel/accommodation: [ ] I would like to request a free CAR PARKING PERMIT for university Campus including parking at Roeburn Hall [ ] ----------------------------------- SOCIAL EVENTS Hoghton Tower, Conf. Dinner etc, June 8. 40 UK POUNDS P[ ] Guest[ ] Hurst Green, meal etc, June 10. 20 UK POUNDS P[ ] Guest[ ] ----------------------------------- TOTAL PAYMENT DUE = ........ UK POUNDS. I WILL PAY the total amount indicated above to the University of Central Lancashire by the following method (please check one only): ( ) CHEQUE (UK Pounds) ( ) BANK TRANSFER (UK Pounds) ( ) CREDIT CARD PLEASE READ SECTION 2 OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT and send details and payments according to the instructions given there. ----------------------------------- I will apply for an IAU grant (type YES or NO): Please note that the IAU grants are meant to support qualified scientists who have very limited or no other means of support available, e.g. from countries in economic difficulties or young scientists, to enable them to participate in the Colloquium. IAU grants are not meant to be used for additional finance for those colleagues whose attendance is already assured. We ask you all to respect this IAU policy. ----------------------------------- Please send me details of future Astronomy conferences courses and events organised by the University of Central Lancashire: YES/NO -------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************************************************************* (APPENDIX B) IAU GRANT APPLICATION FORM ********************************************************************* Please submit by e-mail to tov@uclan.ac.uk by 31 January 2004 Please note that in no case will it be possible to provide full financial support to a participant. The requests for funds will inevitably be far in excess of the total amount available from the IAU, and so these funds will need to be spread widely, giving partial support to those in most need, as indicated above. ------------------------------------------ INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION UNION ASTRONOMIQUE INTERNATIONALE APPLICATION FOR AN IAU TRAVEL GRANT (1) IAU Symposium/Colloquium No: 196 (2) Title of meeting: Transits of Venus: New Views of the Solar System and Galaxy (3) Location (city, country): Preston, UK (4) Dates of meeting: 7-11 June 2004 (5) Name of applicant: (6) Nationality: (7) Position: (8) Address: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: (9) Starting point of journey (if different from home address): (10) Type of contribution (e.g. review talk, thesis presentation, ...): (11) Title of contribution: (12) Total amount of IAU support applied for (UK POUNDS): Subtotal for travel (max.: economy air fare or equivalent): Subtotal for subsistence (if no other funds available): (13) Other sources of support applied to: Amount requested/granted: (14) Signature of applicant [Please enter your full name here to indicate your electronic signature in lieu of handwritten signature]: Date and place of signature: (15) For Ph.D. students only: Name of Thesis Supervisor: Please insert letter of recommendation of Supervisor >> insert original e-mail here << ********************************************************************* (APPENDIX C) LaTeX TEMPLATE FOR ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS ********************************************************************* Please submit this by e-mail to tov@uclan.ac.uk according to the deadlines given in item (5) above. --------------------------------------------------------------------- % % Abstracts for papers of IAU C196: % Transits of Venus: New Views of the Solar System and Galaxy % Preston, UK 7-11 June 2004 % % Instructions to the authors for the abstracts % % The abstracts will be published in a booklet that will be given to % each registered participant at the beginning of the meeting. An % obligatory LaTeX macro is provided here. It can also be requested from % % tov@uclan.ac.uk % % In every part of this macro file, samples are given. They should be % replaced by the authors. % The abstract is limited to 1 page per contribution, including % tables and references and (at most) one figure. % Use the command \epsfbox in the macro. Do not use % \plotfiddle or any other figure command. Keep it simple. % The completed LaTeX macro should be sent by e-mail to: % % tov@uclan.ac.uk % % % If you want to apply for an oral contribution, the abstract must be % received by 15 March 2004. Talks will be chosen by the SOC on the % basis of the abstracts. You will receive a message from the SOC to % inform you if your contribution has been selected for an oral % presentation by 1 April 2004. Invited speakers and authors of poster % papers have to send in their abstract by 1 MAY 2004. % Sincerely, Don Kurtz % % ALL LINES BEGINNING WITH % ARE COMMENTS \documentstyle[11pt,epsf]{article} \pagestyle{empty} \setlength{\topmargin}{-10mm} \setlength{\textwidth}{140mm} \setlength{\textheight}{220mm} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{10mm} \setlength{\evensidemargin}{\oddsidemargin} \newenvironment{references}{\vspace*{3mm} \noindent {\bf References} \\ \vspace*{-2mm} \small \begin{description}}{\end{description}} \begin{document} \begin{center} \Large {\bf % DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE % BEGIN TITLE AREA Instructions for authors who will present a paper at IAU C196, 7-11 June 2004 % END TITLE AREA } \vspace*{3mm} \large % INSERT AUTHORS NAMES BELOW % NOTE: INSTITUTIONS SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED BY SUPERSCRIPTS OF THE FORM % $^1$, $^2$, ... % BEGIN AUTHOR AREA Author1$^1$, Author2$^1$, Author3$^2$, % END AUTHOR AREA \vspace*{3mm} \normalsize \it % INSERT INSTITUTIONS BELOW - $^1$, ... PROVIDES THE SUPERSCRIPTS TO % IDENTIFY THE INSTITUTIONS % BEGIN INSTITUTION AREA $^1$Address of Institute 1\\ $^2$Address of Institute 2 % END INSTITUTION AREA \end{center} \vspace*{5mm} \rm % BEGIN ABSTRACT AREA Put the text of your paper here. Make it scientifically very attractive. Make sure that your Latex runs on your file without a problem. The SOC members will be impressed by well-prepared abstracts. % Insert at most one figure here. Use the epsf format given. Do not % change plot commands. % You may change the size, so long as your figure fits on one page. % Do not add any \vspace command. % Make sure your axes labels and numbering are not too small after % reduction. Remove the comment % signs if you are including a plot; % otherwise, leave them. %\vspace*{5mm} %\begin{figure}[h] %\hfil \epsfxsize 12cm\epsfbox{ fig.eps } %\caption{This is the caption to my figure.} %\end{figure} % END ABSTRACT AREA \vspace*{3mm} \begin{references} % INSERT YOUR REFERENCES BELOW % BEGIN REFERENCE AREA \item Author1, A., 2003, A\&A 111, 222 \item Author2, B., Author3, C., 2000, PASP 333, 444 % END REFERENCE AREA \end{references} \end{document}