242nd meeting

Press Information

242
Albuquerque, New Mexico
242nd meeting of the American Astronomical Society
Albuquerque, New Mexico
4 – 8 June 2023

The AAS offers complimentary meeting registration to bona fide working journalists and public information officers (PIOs).

At AAS 242, there will be a dedicated press office and a reservable interview room. We will hold press conferences Monday through Wednesday, and the final day of the meeting will feature an optional press tour to the Jansky Very Large Array radio observatory (see details below).

Scroll down for more information, or use the links below to jump to a topic.

Press Registration Press Office Press Conferences
Press Interviews Press Tour Resources for Presenting Scientists
Embargo Policy for AAS Meetings    

Press Registration

The AAS offers complimentary meeting registration to bona fide working journalists and public information officers (PIOs). To request press registration, first check our eligibility criteria, then contact the AAS Press Office with your name and media affiliation (or “freelance” if applicable). If your eligibility is confirmed, you'll receive a special promotional code that you can use to register for the meeting the same way regular attendees do, i.e., via the AAS 242 registration page.

Press registration deadline: Wednesday, 31 May 2023.

View AAS 242 Press Registrants

Press Office

USRA Logo

Thanks to the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) for generously sponsoring the press office with refreshments for on-site press registrants!

Location: Room 210, Level 2, Albuquerque Convention Center (401 2nd St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102)

Press Office Hours

  • Sunday, 4 June, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
  • Monday, 5 June, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday, 6 June, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday, 7 June, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Press Office Staff

The AAS 242 Astrobites Media Intern will also assist in the Press Office.


Press Conferences

Location: Room 240, Level 2, Albuquerque Convention Center


Press Interviews

Location: San Juan Room (#22), Lower Level West Complex, Albuquerque Convention Center

Use the online signup sheet to reserve this room for use for press interviews at specific dates and times.


Press Tour

Join the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Very Large Array (VLA) in Socorro, New Mexico on Thursday, 8 June 2023. This tour will be separate from the tour offered to non-press meeting registrants.

You will learn the history, mechanics, and science mission of the VLA along with receiving a primer to the science mission for the upcoming next generation Very Large Array. Depending on weather, the NRAO will offer all media tour guests an antenna climb while on the site in addition to time allocated to speak with on-site engineers, scientists, and staff. Transportation to and from the VLA, lunch, water, snacks, hard hats, and media kits are included for all participants; there is no registration cost.

The tour will leave the convention center at 10 am on Thursday morning (immediately following the closing breakfast). The drive to the VLA from Albuquerque takes approximately 2 hours, and we will spend roughly 2-3 hours on the site, so please plan to spend a full day visiting and learning more about the VLA and radio astronomy.

What to bring: Please wear closed-toe shoes (no sandals!) and long pants; these are required to participate in the antenna climb at the VLA. As June in Socorro can be either windy and chilly or very hot, we suggest bringing a jacket, a hat, and sunscreen.

Due to the antenna climb, the number of registrants allowed on this tour is limited. To express interest, please fill out the form here. If interest exceeds the number of participants allowed, members of the media will be given priority over PIOs and participation will otherwise be decided on a first-come, first-served basis.


Resources for Presenters

If you have been invited to present at an AAS press conference, you may have questions about what happens at a press conference, how to prepare a presentation, or how to prepare a press release. The resources at the following link should address those questions:

https://aas.org/press/media-training-nutshell


Media Advisories