Gemini

AAL is contracted by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to be the managing entity for funds to enable Australian membership of the International Gemini Partnership. This membership allows Australian astronomers access to 6.19% of the available telescope time on the two 8 metre Gemini telescopes located in Chile and Hawaii. This arrangement is in place until December 2012.

As part of its membership, Australia is required to contribute towards Gemini instrumentation. Part of Australia's contribution to Gemini instrumentation will come from AAL's EIF grant.

Australian Gemini Office (AusGO)

AusGO, funded by AAL, supports Australian astronomers in their use of the 8 metre-class telescopes: Gemini and Magellan. AusGO is based at the Australian Astronomical Observatory where the Australian Gemini Scientist, Dr Stuart Ryder, is also based.

AAL sponsors the AGUSS scheme, administered by AusGO, which provides an annual opportunity for two or three undergraduate students enrolled at Australian universities to carry out a 10 week research project at the Gemini South observatory in La Serena, Chile. Students work closely with Gemini Observatory staff, participate in a lecture course offered at Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, and present their final results via video link to sites in Australia. Application details can be found at the AGUSS website.

AusGO also runs the Australian Gemini Schools Contest. This contest gives winning students in Australia an opportunity to use an hour of observing time on the Gemini South telescope in the Andes Mountains of Chile.

The winning image from the 2010 Gemini School Astronomy Contest, organised by the Australian Gemini Office, showing colliding galaxies NGC 6872 and IC 4970. Image credit: Sydney Girls High School Astronomy Club, Travis Rector (University of Alaska, Anchorage), Ángel López-Sánchez (Australian Astronomical Observatory/Macquarie University), and the Australian Gemini Office.

NCG6872

Representation on Gemini Committees

Gemini Board: Prof Peter Quinn, UWA.

Gemini Finance Committee: Mr Mark McAuley, AAL.

Science Committee: A. Prof Andrew Hopkins, AAO.