SOFIA AAS Splinter Session, SN 2014J Data, Instrument Commissioning, and Other News 1. SOFIA Splinter Session During the Boston AAS Meeting, Tuesday, June 3 2. FIFI-LS Far-IR Imaging Spectrometer: Commissioning & First Science 3. SN 2014J Incremental Data Release 4. EXES Mid-IR Spectrometer Begins Commissioning Flights 5. AAA Educators Fly on SOFIA 1. SOFIA Splinter Session During the Boston AAS Meeting, Tuesday, June 3 Date and Time: Tuesday, June 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Location: Staffordshire Room, Westin Copley Place hotel The SOFIA scientific staff will host a splinter session during the June 2014 AAS meeting in Boston. Presentations will include first science results from the far-IR imaging spectrometer FIFI-LS and the high-resolution mid-IR spectrometer EXES. Status of data and observations from SOFIA's completed Cycle 1 and ongoing Cycle 2 Guest Investigator programs plus the Cycle 3 Call for Proposals will also be discussed. More information about SOFIA and the splinter session can be found at the AAS website and also:http://www.sofia.usra.edu/ 2. FIFI-LS Far-IR spectrometer: Commissioning and First Science The FIFI-LS (Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer) instrument (P.I. Alfred Krabbe, German SOFIA Institute, University of Stuttgart) performed its first-light observations with SOFIA on March 7, 2014. Observed targets included planetary nebula NGC 6543 (also known as the Cat's Eye Nebula); spectral maps of [O III] at 51.815 microns were obtained toward the center of the nebula. FIFI-LS is a so-called 3-dimensional spectrometer that collects both imaging & spectroscopic data at wavelengths between 45 and 210 microns, making efficient use of SOFIA's observing time. Capabilities of FIFI-LS are similar to those of the PACS instrument that operated on the Herschel Space Observatory. FIFI-LS commissioning tests were completed on April 15, and the instrument will be available for scientific use in Cycle 3 and beyond. More information regarding FIFI-LS and its commissioning is available at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_2014/03_24_14/index.html http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_2014/05_12_14/index.html 3. SN 2014J Incremental Data Release SOFIA observations of SN 2014J obtained during Director's Discretionary Time (DDT) in February 2014 are now available to the scientific community. The programs were near-IR grism spectroscopy (P.I.s P. Garnavich and R. Hamilton) and imaging with the FLITECAM instrument, plus mid-IR imaging (P.I. R. Gehrz) and grism spectroscopy (P.I. W. Vacca) with the FORCAST instrument. 1st-pass processed data are presented in the SOFIA Data Cycle System (DCS) Science Archive. Some of these observations will be discussed during the SOFIA splinter session at the Boston AAS meeting. Details about the SN 2014J observations and instructions for accessing the data are available on a dedicated SN 2014J data page: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/proposals/DDT/SN2014J_Data.html 4. EXES Mid-IR Spectrometer Begins Commissioning Flights The EXES (Echelon-cross-Echelle Spectrograph) high-resolution mid-IR spectrograph (P.I. Matt Richter, U.C.-Davis) successfully completed the first segment of its commissioning flights on April 9. EXES is a mid-IR spectrograph operating between 4.5 and 28.3 microns, a spectral region with many molecular and atomic transitions. Highlights of results from EXES's first flights will be presented at the Boston AAS meeting. More information regarding EXES commissioning is available at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_2014/04_02_14/index.html 5. AAA Educators Fly on SOFIA SOFIA provides opportunities for educators to work as partners with scientists during research flights. The SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program provides an opportunity for teams of educators to participate on science flights. All 24 members of the Cycle 2 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) cohort completed SOFIA flights as of May 17. The Cycle 2 Ambassadors now join the Cycle 1 group in implementing education & public outreach plans in their respective schools, science museums, and communities with the support of SOFIA Outreach. More information regarding the AAA program is available at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/News/news_2014/01_08_14/index.html http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Edu/programs/ambassadors/ambassadors.html