AAS 247: Press Information | American Astronomical Society

247th meeting

Press Information

247

247th meeting of the American Astronomical Society

Phoenix, Arizona

4 – 8 January 2026

At AAS 247, there will be a dedicated press office and press conference room. We will hold press conferences Monday through Thursday, and there will be an optional press tour on Friday; 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 Event	Resources for Presenting Scientists
Embargo Policy for AAS Meetings

Press Registration

AAS 247 will be an in-person meeting only; there will be no virtual attendance option for the general meeting. The press conferences, however, can be attended both in person and virtually via Zoom.

In-Person Press Attendance:

The AAS offers complimentary in-person 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); please specify "AAS 247 IN-PERSON press registration" in the subject line. 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 247 registration page.

Virtual Press Attendance (press conferences only):

If you do not plan to be on-site in Phoenix but you would like to attend the press conferences virtually, contact the AAS Press Office with your name and media affiliation (or “freelance” if applicable); please specify "AAS 247 VIRTUAL press conference attendance" in the subject line. You will be added to a virtual press conference attendance list and will be sent the press conference schedule and Zoom webinar links in advance of the meeting.

Press registration deadline: Wednesday, 31 December 2025.

View AAS 247 Press Registrants

In-Person Press Registration Instructions

*** Note: If you do not plan to attend the meeting in person in Phoenix, do not register for the meeting; there is no virtual attendance option for the general meeting. Instead, email the AAS Press Office to be added to the virtual press conference attendance list.***

Once you’ve received your press promo code from the AAS Press Office, you're ready to register. To do so:

1. Go to the AAS 247 registration page and click the orange "Register for AAS 247" button.

2. Sign in with your AAS username and password, which you've done before if you've attended a recent AAS meeting. If you’ve forgotten your login credentials, click the “Forgot username?” or “Forgot password?” link and follow the instructions that pop up. If you have trouble or don't know if you have an AAS account, email [email protected] for assistance.

3. Once signed in, click the “Register Myself” button. The page will reload and present you with several registration options at different prices. Select the “In-Person Press - Full Meeting Registration" or "Virtual Press Registration" option. Don’t fret about the cost shown there! When you enter your press promo code (provided to you by the AAS Press Office) at checkout, the fee will go to $0 — as long as you've chosen the press registration option and have a valid press promo code.

4. Answer the subsequent required questions and click the “Save Responses” button. If you wish to change any of your responses, do so and then click the “Update Responses” button.

5. Add any contributions, networking functions, and workshops you would like to attend. Note that the networking list includes the complimentary Welcome Reception and Closing Reception. If you choose to sign up for paid workshops or other events, or to make any of the suggested donations, you will need to pay full price for those. Your promo code covers only the registration fee for the science meeting.

6. Scroll down and click the “Proceed to Checkout” button. Enter your press promo code in the “Promotional Code” box (if you have trouble, check to make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces in the code!) and click the orange “Apply” button; you should now see the registration fee reduced to $0.

7. Click the “Submit Order” button to complete your registration; unless you opted to attend a paid workshop or make a donation, you won’t have to pay anything. The next screen will confirm your registration and display a receipt. You should soon receive a confirmation email from [email protected]. If you don’t see this emails in your inbox, check your junk/spam folder.

If you encounter any problems during the registration process, email [email protected].

Press Office

Location: Room 130 (street level) of the North Building of the Phoenix Convention Center

Press Office Hours

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

Press Office Staff

Dr. Susanna Kohler, AAS Communications Manager & Press Officer, +1 202-328-2010 x127
Dr. Kerry Hensley, AAS Communications Specialist & Deputy Press Officer, +1 202-328-2010 x138
Lexi Gault, AAS Media Fellow

The AAS 247 Astrobites Media Intern will also assist in the Press Office.

Press Conferences

Location: Room 129A of the North Building of the Phoenix Convention Center

Press Interviews

There will be no dedicated press interview space at AAS 247; if you’re in need of space, please contact [email protected] to coordinate use of the press conference room outside of press conference hours.

Press Events

Press registrants have a choice of two tours on Friday, 9 January, after the meeting ends: the official press tour to NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory, and an alternative guided tour of Whipple Observatory. More details below.

Press Tour to NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory

On Friday, 9 January, press registrants will have the opportunity to take part in an exclusive media visit to what is arguably the largest collection of major optical research telescopes on Earth. This full day of US-funded astronomical discovery will give press participants the unique opportunity to tour the NSF McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope (once the world's largest solar telescope), the new Windows on the Universe exhibition, the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope with the state-of-the-art exoplanet-discovery machine NEID, and the NSF Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope, where astronomers using the DOE-funded Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) are expanding the largest-ever 3D map of the universe to probe dark energy.

The tour will depart from the Phoenix Convention Center at 8 am on Friday, 9 January, and arrive back around 7 pm. Participation is free for press registrants.

To help us gauge interest in this tour, please fill out the online expression of interest form by 12 December.

When attending, wear sturdy/hiking footwear and winter coats. Bring water, snacks, and a government-issued ID (or a passport, if you are not a US citizen), as the bus will cross through a border control checkpoint.

All-Day Guided Tour of Whipple Observatory

Join us for a rare, all-day behind-the-scenes tour of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory — a part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. This limited tour will begin at Whipple Observatory’s newly opened Science Center in Amado before ascending the winding mountain road to the Ridge and summit telescopes. Participants will explore the VERITAS gamma-ray array, enjoy panoramic views from the Ridge, and experience the 6.5-meter MMT Observatory — a partnership with the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory — up close, guided by site scientists and staff. Along the way, you’ll learn about groundbreaking discoveries in astrophysics, enjoy lunch at the Observatory’s dining hall with sweeping vistas of southern Arizona and Mexico, and gain unique insights into the challenges and rewards of doing astronomy in the Arizona desert. This field trip offers an unforgettable opportunity to connect with both the science and the setting that make Arizona a global leader in astronomy.

This tour includes transportation to/from Whipple Observatory, lunch, snacks, and water.

Please note: This tour will depart from the Phoenix Convention Center. A meeting place will be sent closer to the event.

Date: Friday, January 9, 2025
Time: 7am-6pm
Includes lunch, snacks

Whipple Observatory is located on the line between Pima County and Santa Cruz County in Southern Arizona and does *NOT* cross any government or border patrol checkpoints. Your normal ID is sufficient for visiting this observatory.

Members of the press corp may use this link to book their tickets for this tour free of charge. Please do not share this link outside of media attendees. Non-media attendees of AAS must use the regular attendee link to purchase tickets and attend this tour.

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:

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