If your eyes are always pointed to the stars, you may be interested in news that for the first time, the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) will be open to the public. Astronomers, academics, and media plus guests are expected to total more than 500 during the conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 2-6. A single-day registration rate of $50 is available on Monday and Tuesday, and these two days include special presentations and events aimed at amateurs. In addition to special daytime programming, these evening events are open to all:
- Monday evening includes a star party featuring Saturn and its moon, Titan, with telescopes set up outside the Indiana Convention Center, and all members of the public are welcome to participate.
- Tuesday evening anyone can hear Chris Lintott, “BBC Sky at Night” presenter (Adler Planetarium and Oxford University) speaking about citizen science and citizen contributions to astronomy.
For more information on public registration, sessions, or events, see http://aas.org/aas-222nd-meeting/one-day-program-amateur-astronomers-public. If you, like me, can’t make it to Indianapolis, follow the meeting on Twitter at #AAS222.
