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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Greetings <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The National Steering Committee for the South African
celebrations of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 has been finalized
following input from the astronomy stakeholder community. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>This steering committee is made up of the following people: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Byren
Archary (DST)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Kim
de Boer (SKA SA / MeerKAT) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Marion
West (HartRAO) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Shadrack
Mahapa (SAASTA) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Peter
Martinez (SAAO / ASSA / Space Science Community) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>Kevin
Govender (SAAO / SALT)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Acronyms:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>DST:
Department of Science and Technology <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>SKA
SA: Square Kilometre Array <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South
Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> </span></font><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>MeerKAT:
<st1:place w:st="on">Karoo</st1:place> Array Telescope </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>HartRAO:
Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory </span></font><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>SAASTA:
South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>SAAO:
South African Astronomical Observatory </span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>ASSA:
Astronomical Society of <st1:place w:st="on">Southern Africa</st1:place> </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#333333"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#333333'>SALT:
Southern African Large Telescope</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>We believe that this steering committee is now well equipped
for their task with adequate representation from a wide variety of stakeholder
communities. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Current activity status: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The draft business plan for the SA IYA2009 celebrations is
being prepared following input from stakeholders in the astronomy field. Once
it has been bounced around the steering committee it will be made public on the
South African IYA website <a href="http://www.astronomy2009.org.za/">www.astronomy2009.org.za</a>.
The steering committee will meet on Monday 2<sup>nd</sup> July at the KAT/SKA
offices in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Johannesburg</st1:place></st1:City>.
All activities of the steering committee will remain as transparent as possible
with regular feedback to the astronomy community.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>ASTRONOMICAL REMINDERS:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The closing dates for the
Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2007 conference are imminent (<a
href="http://www.communicatingastronomy.org/cap2007/">http://www.communicatingastronomy.org/cap2007/</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Please keep those astronomy resources
coming for our national consolidation process (<a
href="http://astronomy2009.saao.ac.za/projects/resources/">http://astronomy2009.saao.ac.za/projects/resources/</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Don’t forget to look up -
especially around 1<sup>st</sup> July when Venus and Saturn will be really
close together in the evening sky (<a
href="http://www.saao.ac.za/public-info/sun-moon-stars/july/">http://www.saao.ac.za/public-info/sun-moon-stars/july/</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Please continue to spread the word
about this email list (<a
href="http://mail.saasta.ac.za/mailman/listinfo/astronet">http://mail.saasta.ac.za/mailman/listinfo/astronet</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Regards<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Kevin Govender<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>0824878466<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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