ASCA Cycle 6 Announcement Released

[ASCANEWS ACCOUNT <MUKAI@lheavx.gsfc.nasa.gov>]

ASCA Guest observers,

In this message, you will find 3 important announcements:

	1. ASCA AO-6 announcement released
	2. New ABC Guide online
	3. ASCANews no 5 to be online shortly.

					The ASCA GOF

=============================================================================
1. ASCA AO-6 announcement released

We are pleased to announce the release of ASCA Guest Observer Program
(Cycle 6) announcement by NASA; by agreement, the NASA announcement
is open only to PIs affiliated with a US institution.  The announcement
and related documents are available on the world-wide web at:

	http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/asca/nra_info.html

and via anonymous ftp to legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov, under directory asca/nra_info.
	[As of this writing, the AO-6 version of Appendix E, ASCA
	technical description, is available via anonymous ftp only;
	the web version will be put in place within the next few days.]

The following briefly summarizes the NASA announcement.

Cycle 6 period: 	1 year beginning late Dec, 1997
Proposal deadline:	1997 August 13
Funding:		No funds are available through this announcement;
	Observers with accepted proposals, as well as archival researchers,
	will be invited to submit funding proposals to the NASA Astrophysics
	Data Program, formal announcement of which will be made in late 1997.
Large Programs:		Given the maturity of the ASCA program, we anticipate
	a stronger emphasis on large programs.  No observing time will be set
	aside for large programs; however, we plan to ensure enough flexibility
	over time allocation in the peer review process so that large programs
	will have a fair chance of success.

There are parallel opportunities for Japanese and ESA scientists; for the
latter, please contact

	Dr A. Parmar
	ESTEC,
	Astrophysics Division,
	Space Science Department,
	Keplerlaan 1,
	NL-2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH

	email: ASCA-HELP@astro.estec.esa.nl
	anonymous ftp from /pub/ASCA/AO on astro.estec.esa.nl

=============================================================================
2. New ABC Guide online

A new version of the "ABC Guide" of ASCA Data Reduction & analysis is now
available on the world-wide web:

	http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/asca/abc/abc.html

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3. ASCANews no 5 to be online shortly

We are putting finishing touches to the online version of the new issue
(no 5) of ASCANews, our newsletter.  We anticipate to be able to make
it publicly available on or before May 23.  Please check:

	http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/asca/newsletters/Contents5.html

around then.