AAS 248: Press Information | American Astronomical Society

248th meeting

Press Information

248

248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society

Pasadena, California

14 – 18 June 2026

At AAS 248, there will be a dedicated press office and press conference room. We will hold press conferences Monday through Wednesday, and there will be an optional press tour on Thursday.

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 248 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 248 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 248 registration page.

Virtual Press Attendance (press conferences only):

If you do not plan to be on-site in Pasadena 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 248 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, 10 June 2026.

View AAS 248 Press Registrants

In-Person Press Registration Instructions

*** Note: If you do not plan to attend the meeting in person in Pasadena, 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 248 registration page and click the orange "Register for AAS 248" 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 208, Pasadena Convention Center

Press Office Hours

Sunday, 14 June, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Monday, 15 June, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday, 16 June, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday, 17 June, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday, 18 June, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Press Office Staff

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

The AAS 248 Astrobites Media Intern will also assist in the Press Office.

Press Conferences

Location: Ballroom H of the Pasadena Convention Center

Press Interviews

There will be no dedicated press interview space at AAS 248; 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

On Thursday, 18 June, press registrants will have the opportunity to take part in an exclusive media visit to Griffith Observatory, a pivotal connection point between astronomy and the public. Tour participants will have the opportunity to learn about the observatory and its programs, explore the interface between astronomy research and public science engagement, and play! We'll have time to interact with exhibits, visit the Zeiss telescope dome, conduct coelostat and solar telescope viewing, and attend a (free!) planetarium show.

Tour participants will need to arrange their own transportation to the Observatory, which is a ~25-minute ride from the Convention Center. To register for the tour, please fill out the online signup form. Additional details will be sent to registrants at a later date.

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

1st Media Advisory (21 May)
2nd Media Advisory (press kit; 8 June)

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