242nd meeting

Registration & Events

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

See the “Eclipse” Petroglyph in Chaco Canyon (Day 1)
Museum Experiences: Indian Pueblo Cultural Center & New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (Day 2)

Saturday, 3 June & Sunday, 4 June
7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Cost: $225
Full Two-Day experience

Museum Experiences (Day 2 ONLY)
Sunday, 4 June
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Cost: $65
Additional participants are welcome, but space is limited. The deadline to register is 4 May.

Be prepared to become inspired and equipped with resources to enrich your own contributions to the upcoming solar eclipses and other Sun-related events. This pre-conference experience will offer heightened awareness and appreciation of Sun-watching across time, space, and culture as only New Mexico can offer. 

Join us for an extraordinary two-day pre-conference experience that is unique to the Albuquerque region.

Day 1 includes a long (and amazing) one-day trip to Chaco Canyon (pick-up 7:00 am, drop off 9:00 - 10:00 pm).

Day 2 (10:00 am - 4:00 pm) includes a visit to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center plus a hands-on outreach session and discussion circle at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS). All participants will receive a kit of materials to support their outreach efforts. You can sign up for both days (Chaco Canyon and museum experiences) or Day 2 only (outreach session and museum experiences).

The NASA PUNCH mission outreach team and regional collaborators will be your expert guides to seeing the “eclipse” petroglyph and World Heritage ancient structures of Chaco Canyon, to learning about Indian Pueblo culture, and to discussing equitable and inclusive best practices for public engagement.  Chaco harbors world-class evidence of ancient Sun-watching and is one of the most important pre-Columbian cultural and historical sites in the United States. 

On Day 1, all meals are provided, including “not-your-typical” box breakfast and lunch, plus dinner at New Mexico’s classic restaurant El Bruno’s in Cuba, NM. On Day 2, a buffet lunch is provided at NMMNHS. All entrance fees, and transportation are provided except transportation to and from the NMMNHS on Day 2 (~ 1 mile from Conference Center). PUNCH Outreach is contributing the time and travel of our expert guides and facilitators. For the Chaco adventure on Day 1, you should wear comfortable shoes for walking on uneven ground and clothing, including hat and sunglasses, that protect you from the high-desert Sun.   


Very Large Array Tour
Sunday, 4 June 
9:30 am - 4:00 pm 

NRAO is excited to be welcoming you to the VLA site on Sunday. In preparation for your visit, please note the following:

Bus check-in: Please arrive at the bus by 9:15 am on Sunday, to allow for an on-time departure. The bus will leave the East Entrance (2nd Street) of the Albuquerque Convention Center at 9.30 am on June 4, returning at approximately 4:15 pm. Climate and what to wear: In June the weather at the VLA is typically clear, very dry, and mid-80s Fahrenheit. You will be in the Sun for much of the tour, with very little shade. Plan to wear clothing that provides good Sun protection, a sunhat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Long pants and closed-toe shoes will help protect from rattlesnakes. Electronics and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI): The VLA will be observing for the all-sky VLA Sky Survey at S-band (2-4GHz) during your visit. This observing band is very sensitive to RFI, and many types of electronics emit in this band as this is the frequency used by many WiFi systems, as well as Bluetooth. In addition, many Bluetooth devices (AirPods, Fitbits, etc.) cannot be turned off. Therefore, please do not bring electronics that use WiFi or Bluetooth, and cannot be turned off, on the tour; leave them at home. Cameras and cell phones that have an airplane mode are welcome. Altitude: The VLA site is located at 7,000 feet elevation, which can exacerbate certain medical conditions. You may find you need to walk at a slower pace than usual, and take more breaks. It is important to stay well hydrated when at altitude. Bottled water will be provided, and water fountains are available at the Visitor Center. Please tell your tour guide if you feel unwell. We will have Emergency Medican Technicians on call at the VLA site. Emergency contact while on the tour: You may leave your cell phone on until you get to the VLA site. At the VLA site, all electronics will need to be set to full airplane mode. Therefore, if someone needs to contact you while at the VLA site, please have them use the number for VLA Operations, 575-8357180. This is for emergency use only.


Forward! To the Moon - Join Astronaut Jack Schmitt for All Dome Planetarium Screening
Monday, June 5, 2023
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS)
Free with meeting registration but attendance is limited to 145 people — register early!

Join Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison “Jack” Schmitt for this VIP screening of the all dome planetarium film Forward! To the Moon. Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters launches us on a journey beyond the Earth towards a sustainable future in space.  

NASA’s 21st century Artemis program is the next step in our mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the surface of the Moon. Produced by Fiske Planetarium and the University of Colorado Boulder Network for Exploration and Space Science (NESS) in collaboration with TEND Studio

Shuttles to and from the West Entrance of the Convention Center to NMMNHS are sponsored by Fiske Planetarium and AAS. They will begin circulating at 5:15 pm and conclude at 7:45 pm.  


Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer Open House
Friday, 9 June
9:30 am - 2:00 pm
No cost
Note: This tour is "on your own" and not part of the AAS meeting registration process.

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer will be hosting an open house for AAS meeting attendees on Friday, 9 June from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. We will meet at New Mexico Tech (NMT) in Socorro and shuttle our guests to the Observatory, which is located at 10,600 feet in the Magdalena Mountains of the Cibola National Forest in Socorro County, NM.

At the Observatory we will tour the Optical Interferometer Beam Combining Facility (BCF) and view the two telescope currently on the array. Hosts for this event will include Principal Investigator Van Romero, Project Scientist Michelle Creech-Eakman, System Architects David Buscher and Chris Haniff, as well as various other MROI staff members and graduate students.

Capacity is limited to 45 attendees, with your spot being reserved on a first-come first-served basis.