Editor’s Note: This advisory was updated on Jan. 11 to correct the time of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Town Hall, which is taking place at 1:40 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15.
Experts from across NASA will discuss topics ranging from black holes to exploding stars to planets beyond our solar system at the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The weeklong virtual event begins Monday, Jan. 11.
The event, nicknamed the Super Bowl of Astronomy, will feature agency leaders and researchers discussing the latest developments in astrophysics during various news conferences, scientific sessions, and online exhibits, as well as town halls, including those focused on NASA’s Webb and Roman space telescopes.
News conferences will livestream and will be available to the public on the AAS YouTube channel. Among the myriad new studies of the universe that will be presented, researchers will discuss a new finding from Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, a NASA-funded citizen science project in which members of the public can collaborate with professional scientists in identifying new cosmic objects. Discussion of the study will be part of a news conference at 4:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
For registered attendees, four town halls will take place to discuss NASA astrophysics and specific observatories (all times Eastern):
- NASA Town Hall: Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 1:40 p.m.
- James Webb Space Telescope Town Hall: Thursday, Jan. 14, at 1:40 p.m.
- Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Town Hall: Friday, Jan. 15, at 1:40 p.m.
- Roman Space Telescope Town Hall: Friday, Jan. 15, at 1:40 p.m.
For media registration and other information, contact Rick Fienberg at rick.fienberg@aas.org.
For more information on the meeting, including a complete and up-to-date schedule, visit:
