The Solar Physics Division of the
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...
(AAS/SPD) or (AAS-SPD), often referred to as simply the "Solar Physics Division" (SPD), is the primary trade organization of
solar physicists in the
U.S.
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
It exists for the advancement of the study of the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
and to coordinate of such research with other branches of science. SPD organizes meetings and certain solar-physics-specific prizes, occasionally advocates for solar physics in the political arena, and promotes outreach via formal and informal educational projects.
The SPD awards the
George Ellery Hale Prize for outstanding contributions over an extended period of time to solar astronomy, and the
Karen Harvey Prize for a significant contribution to the study of the Sun early in a scientist's professional career.
The SPD also gives popular writing awards, and holds a student poster contest at its meetings. Contestants are judged on readability, flow, quality of appearance and proportion of independent work done by the student. Judges also take into account the oral presentation by the student, how well the conclusions line up with the aim or purpose and the overall quality of the work.
References
External links
AAS/SPD official website
{{Authority control
Physics organizations