The Astronomical Society of Australia held its Annual Scientific Meeting at Macquarie University in Sydney, NSW this month. A notable inclusion to the program was the presentation, on Tuesday, of the draft reports to the National Committee for Astronomy for the Decadal Plan 2016—2025. Eleven working groups (including the group I chair, WG1.4: High energy and fundamental astrophysics) have been consulting broadly via community meetings since February, and this week offered the first opportunity for broad community review of, and feedback for, the draft reports. The session went very well and there is (I believe) a sense that the level of community interaction in this process has been extremely inclusive, so that all stakeholders have been represented. I also gave a talk on the Friday describing a new project aimed at closing the loop between thermonuclear burst observations, modelling, and nuclear experiments, which for the moment I've given the acronym NAGA*. An unusual inclusion in the social program was the opening of an art exhibition, Fields of Vision: Art and Astronomy which was a very civilized addition. The dinner, at the lovely Curzon hall, was terrific.

* Need A Good Acronym

Labels: 2014, meetings