Exploring Strange New Worlds:
From Giant Planets to Super Earths
High Country Conference Center, Flagstaff, AZ May 1-6, 2011
Co-hosted by the NASA/JPL Exoplanet Exploration Program
and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute
First Announcement - November 16, 2010
Purpose and Scope
The NASA ExoPlanet Exploration Program and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute are co-hosting the 6th in a series of international scientific conferences on the topic of present and future observations of exoplanets from space. The conference will present state-of-the art results from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes, the Kepler and CoRoT transit missions, as well as relevant ground-based facilities. Noted theoreticians will provide perspective and interpretation of the observational results of the physical characterization of planets ranging in size from gas and icy giants, super Earths, and (ultimately) Earth analogs. Speakers will emphasize how exoplanet observations help us understand the formation and evolution of objects in our own Solar System.
Speakers will also look toward the future with a focus on the exoplanet observations using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and ESA's GAIA astrometric mission. Speakers from the four JWST instrument teams will address the capabilities of JWST for coronagraphy and transit follow-up. The conference will end with discussions of the missions and technologies endorsed by the Astro2010 Decadal Review such as micro-lensing opportunities with NASA's WFIRST project and a large optical/UV telescope. Similar discussions will be held on plans of other space agencies such as ESA's EUCLID and PLATO projects.
The conference will include invited talks, contributed talks and posters as well as a public lecture. The conference is sponsored by NASA, the Spitzer Science Center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, the Blue Dots initiative, Northrup Grumman Space Systems, Lockheed Martin, and the James Webb Space Telescope project.
Website and Announcements
The conference website is available and has the preliminary agenda and information on conference events. On-line registration will be available on Nov. 16, 2010.
Email us at StrangeNewWorlds@ipac.caltech.edu to be added to our mailing list for future conference announcements.
Program Information
A preliminary agenda, including confirmed speakers, is available here.
Attendees are invited to submit abstracts for contributed talks and posters. The deadline for abstract submission is Feb. 28, 2011, with an extended deadline of April 15 to submit electronic posters.
Venue, Accomodation, and Travel Information
The conference will be held at the High Country Conference Center (HCCC) near the campus of Northern Arizona University and within walking distance of historic downtown Flagstaff.
Room blocks have been reserved at three hotels nearby the HCCC. Information on accommodations and the Flagstaff area can be found on the lodging and travel information page.
Registration
Click here to register on-line.
- Early Registration Fee (Nov. 15, 2010 - March 15, 2011): $475
- Late Registration Fee (March 16, 2011 - May 6, 2011): $525
The registration fee includes:
- Conference attendance and materials
- Access to wireless internet at conference center
- Opening reception on Sunday, May 1
- Lowell Observatory reception on Tuesday, May 3
- Continental breakfast Monday-Friday
- Buffet lunch on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at conference center
- Light snacks and drinks during conference breaks
Financial Assistance for Students
Graduate students and post-docs may apply for limited financial assistance to attend this conference. Click here for the on-line application which is due Jan. 31, 2011. Decisions on financial assistance will be announced via email by Feb. 18, 2011.
Conference Events and Excursions
- Welcome reception on Sunday evening, May 1, 2011 Attendees will be able to register, pick-up conference materials, and meet and greet colleagues at the conference center.
- Free public lecture on Monday evening, May 2 Professor Geoff Marcy of UC Berkeley will give a presentation on exoplanet exploration on the Northern Arizona University campus.
- Lowell Observatory reception on Tuesday evening, May 3, 2011 Attendees will enjoy light refreshments and drink and have the chance to tour the Mars Hill facility.
- Conference field trips on Wednesday afternoon, May 4, 2011 Two optional field trips are offered, one to the world famous meteor crater and a second to Lowell Observatory's facility at Anderson Mesa and Happy Jack. Tickets ($25 per person for each trip) to cover bus transportation and a box lunch are available for purchase through the registration site.
- Conference banquet on Thursday evening, May 5, 2011 Share a meal with conference attendees at the Forest Highlands Golf Club. Our featured speaker is Bryan Bates, a Flagstaff-based astronomer, who will speak about the archeoastronomy of northern Arizona. Tickets for the banquet are $25 per person and are available through the registration site.
- Day trip to the Grand Canyon on May 7, 2011. All-Star Grand Canyon tours is offering a day-trip to give conference attendees the chance to explore nearby Grand Canyon National Park. Tickets for the day tour are available directly from the tour company and more information can be found here.
Important Dates
- Nov. 16, 2010: Meeting website open and first announcement
- Jan. 21, 2011: Second announcement
- Jan. 31, 2011: Financial aid applications due
- Feb. 18, 2011: Decisions on financial aid for students announced (via email)
- Feb. 28, 2011: Abstract submission deadline
- Mar. 15, 2011: Early registration ends / deadline to purchase tickets for Wed. trips and Grand Canyon day trip
- Mar. 31, 2011: Final announcement with final agenda including poster/contributed talk decisions
- Apr. 2, 2011: Hotel reservation deadline for conference rate and final announcement
- Apr. 22, 2011: Deadline for submitting electronic posters
- May 1-6, 2011: Conference at High Country Conference Center, Flagstaff, AZ (on-site registration available)
Questions?
For questions not answered on these web pages, please email us at StrangeNewWorlds@ipac.caltech.edu