American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences

American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences
Name	Division for Planetary Sciences
Formation	1968
Type	Scientific society division
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Parent organization	American Astronomical Society

Contents

American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences is the primary professional division of the American Astronomical Society focused on the study of Solar System objects, planetary processes, and comparative planetology. It serves as a community hub for researchers connected to institutions such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center, European Space Agency, and museums like the Smithsonian Institution and the Natural History Museum, London. The division interfaces with missions including Voyager program, Cassini–Huygens, Mars Science Laboratory, and New Horizons while engaging with observatories such as the Palomar Observatory, Keck Observatory, and Arecibo Observatory.

History

The division was established in 1968 amid rapid expansion of planetary science following the Mariner program and the Apollo program, reflecting growing research at organizations like the Carnegie Institution for Science, Caltech, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Early leaders included scientists affiliated with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lunar and Planetary Institute, and universities such as University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University, who shaped priorities alongside agencies like NASA and National Science Foundation. Over decades the division adapted to developments from missions like Viking program, Galileo spacecraft, and Magellan (spacecraft), and to discoveries by telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. The DPS has navigated policy interactions with entities such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the United States Congress regarding planetary protection and research funding.

The division's mission emphasizes support for research on planets, moons, asteroids, comets, rings, and exoplanetary analogs, aligning with agencies and programs including NASA Science Mission Directorate, European Southern Observatory, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Activities encompass advocacy with legislators in United States Congress and coordination with advisory bodies like the NASA Advisory Council and the Decadal Survey process administered by the National Academies. The division promotes standards tied to missions such as OSIRIS-REx, Parker Solar Probe, and Juno (spacecraft), and engages with international partners like Roscosmos and JAXA. Outreach partnerships include collaborations with the American Geophysical Union, International Astronomical Union, and cultural institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History.

Membership spans professionals and students from institutions such as Princeton University, University of Arizona, California Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and University of Tokyo, and includes scientists working at laboratories like Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. Governance comprises elected officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) and committees modeled on structures used by the American Astronomical Society and advisory groups like the National Research Council. The division maintains standing committees on ethics, diversity, and planetary protection that reference guidelines from bodies such as the Committee on Space Research and the World Health Organization for contamination protocols. Elections and bylaws follow precedents seen in organizations like the Royal Astronomical Society and the Max Planck Society.

The division organizes annual meetings that attract delegates associated with projects like Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Europa Clipper, and Lucy (spacecraft), and that occur in venues previously used by conferences of the American Geophysical Union and the European Geosciences Union. Sessions feature presentations from teams at observatories like Subaru Telescope and facilities such as the Large Binocular Telescope, as well as briefings by mission leads from Southwest Research Institute and the Goddard Space Flight Center. The DPS meeting program often coordinates topical workshops on themes like planetary atmospheres, surface processes, and small bodies, drawing speakers from universities including MIT, Cornell University, and Stanford University.

The division administers awards honoring achievements comparable to prizes conferred by the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences, with named recognitions that reflect legacies of scientists affiliated with institutions such as Caltech and University of Chicago. Awards acknowledge contributions to mission science, instrumentation, and early-career research from nominees affiliated with projects like Galileo (spacecraft), Kepler space telescope, and TESS. Selection committees include past awardees and members from partner organizations such as the American Geophysical Union and the International Astronomical Union to ensure standards consistent with broader scientific honors like the Crafoord Prize or the Balzan Prize.

The division disseminates results and community news through channels comparable to journals like Icarus (journal), The Astrophysical Journal, and Planetary and Space Science, and coordinates with publishers of conference abstracts used by groups such as the European Planetary Science Congress. Communications include newsletters, position statements referenced by agencies like NASA and the National Science Foundation, and online resources linked to repositories such as NASA Planetary Data System and the Lunar and Planetary Institute. The DPS also participates in outreach via platforms associated with Science Magazine, Nature (journal), and public media partners like PBS and BBC News.

Category:Astronomy organizations