BigSkyEarth is organizing a Working Group meeting in Prague, on June 30 & July 1, 2017. The meeting combines presentations on astroinformatics advancements and discussions on joint research projects, books and training material. The first day is shared with the Astroinformatics Symposium at EWASS conference, while the second day is mostly focused on work toward possible joint projects and BigSkyEarth research book and repository of training materials.

The meeting agenda and program

Friday, June 30, 2017:

This day is devoted to talks about the advancement in Big Data astronomy, especially in the context of time-domain astronomy opened by big sky surveys. This day is shared with the Astroinformatics Symposium at the EWASS conference and the list of presentations is available HERE (click on S14 panels).

Saturday, July 1, 2017:

1. Discussions within BigSkyEarth converged toward several immediate goals that will be discussed at this meeting.
   • Joint project proposals, including setting up a collaboration for Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE)
   • A possible collaboration between Astronomy and Earth Observation on low- and high-altitude research platform (see also the ESA’s call for work on High Altitude Pseudo Satellites)
   • Work on a research book covering BigSkyEarth topics (knowledge discovery in Big Data in Earth and Sky observations) that includes theory, programming, algorithms, learning, etc.
   • Work on a training/teaching material repository that would combine theory and code examples relevant for Astronomy and Earth Observation. Python would be the main language used in the repository, but not exclusively. The repository can be published on www.zenodo.org to get a DOI number for each submitted contribution, with additional links to code examples on Github.
2. Tentative program is as follows:
   • 9:00-9:30 Introduction to BigSkyEarth and its goals
   • 9:30-10:30 Introduction to proposed project collaborations and open discussion
   • 10:30-11:00 Coffee break
   • 11:00-11:30 cont.
   • 11:20-12:00 Introduction to book and repository activities
   • 12:00-13:00 Summary of the Astroinformatics symposium and discussion on how to harvest this and previous BigSkyEarth (co-)events for book and repository materials
   • 13:00-14:00 Lunch
   • 14:00-16:00 Work/discussion in groups
   • 16:00-16:30 Coffee break
   • 16:30-18:00 Summary of work in groups; Joint discussion about the next steps

Meeting venue

The first day (Friday) program is a part of the EWASS conference – more about the venue you can find HERE.

The second day (Saturday) program will take place in room A-1455 and the adjacing one at the Faculty of Information Technology at the Czech Technical University in Prague (Thákurova 9, 160 00 Prague 6, see map).

The detailed instructions to successfully arrive to the conference room  A-1455 follow:

Note : the lift may not be controlled from inside! You have to select the floor (14) and the display shows you a letter, which lift goes there. You have to enter it and just watch from inside the current floor.

Arrival to the faculties of civil engineering and IT

The goal of the mission is to get to the topmost floor.

The entrance gates are here

 

Behind the gates turn right and enter the white doors to the lifts

 

Lifts on your right side

 

Lifts on your left side

 

The 14th floor. Turn to see this and make few steps to the left.

 

Follow the corridor to the end.

 

You are almost here!

 

The tables on the right will contain the coffee and cookies. On the front one you will find name badges. Take yours!

 

Take a seat and enjoy our meeting !

 

The lunch logistics 

There are at least 3 restaurants opened on Saturday withing short walking distance.

One is  U Topolů with English menu – wide range of meals on menu – a little more expensive – but during lunch time it should be reasonable  (we have reservation for 10 people).

Another is  U Švejka a real Czech cuisine, lower class  (only Czech menu, good beer) – I need to call them on Saturday but they can also feed say 10-15 people quickly

The third one is a Chinese fast food -restaurant – noodles, Sushi, duck with rice etc ….

So please let me know in the morning which option would you  prefer – we need to split anyway.

 

Registration and reimbursements

Please register below in case you plan to participate at the WG meeting. Further details about the meeting preparations will be distributed to those who register. Notice that you can also use this form to submit your suggestions for joint projects even if you will not attend the meeting in person.

BigSkyEarth COST Action will offer reimbursements to a number of participants who will actively contribute to the meeting agenda. Indicate in the registration form that you want to be considered for reimbursement.

NOTE: reimbursements are possible only to invited speakers and to participants coming from institutions in BigSkyEarth member countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, fYR Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom. Members of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory from Armenia are also eligible for grants.