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WHERE AND WHEN
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We are pleased to invite you to attend the 28th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences to be held at the Tucson Convention Center from Wednesday, October 23, through Saturday, October 26, 1996. This meeting is being hosted jointly by the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona. The meeting is co-sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, the Planetary Science Institute, and the Vatican Observatory.

Location
The meeting will be held at the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) in downtown Tucson. Several hotels within easy walking distance have rooms blocked for the meeting. Participants are responsible for making their reservations. Details about the hotels are available on the DPS Web site. There is a range of dining opportunities near the TCC, from traditional Sonoran Mexican food to continental cuisine.

The heritage of colonial Spanish, Mexican, and Native American cultures is still evident in Tucson. Inhabited continuously for over 2000 years, the natural environment of arboreal desert ringed by tall mountains continues to attract people to the area. Well known for dry, clear skies, Tucson is a major astronomy center surrounded by observatories at Kitt Peak, Mt. Hopkins, Mt. Lemmon, and Mt. Graham. As described on the DPS Web site, visitors have a wide range of attractions to visit during their stay.

Weather
Tucson is usually sunny with a high near 80°F and a low of 55°F. October is one of the driest months of the year.

Transportation
Tucson is served by most major airlines. Although a car is not required, there are numerous rental car agencies at the airport. Shuttles from the Tucson and Phoenix airports run often. Details can be found on the DPS Web site.

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DPS ON THE WEB
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Meeting announcements, abstract forms, registration information, meeting site maps, and local area information may be accessed through the DPS home page at

Abstracts are to be electronically submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Institute by 5:00 p.m. (CDT) August 27, 1996. Electronic abstract forms may be accessed through the DPS Web site. If you do not have access to the Internet, hard-copy forms may be obtained by contacting the Lunar and Planetary Institute at the address below. Abstracts will be published in an issue of the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, which will be distributed at the meeting.

For announcement distribution or information regarding registration or abstract submission, please contact:

LeBecca Simmons
Publications and Program Services Department
Lunar and Planetary Institute
3600 Bay Area Boulevard
Houston TX 77058-1113
Phone:  713-486-2158
Fax:  713-486-2160
E-mail:  simmons@lpi.usra.edu

Workshops
There will be several additional meetings and workshops, mostly on Monday and Tuesday. Six meeting rooms, equipped with a basic AV setup, will be available for workshops and breakout groups from Monday through Saturday. A room-request form, with a deadline of August 1, will be available via the DPS Web site.

Public/Education Outreach
An extensive outreach program will be conducted involving local schools and exhibits open to the public. Volunteers are being sought to give presentations at some local schools. We will try to match up the interest of the teachers with the interest of the presenters. All participating teachers have been involved with our local teacher training programs, and we guarantee that the students and teachers will be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about astronomy and planetary science. On Monday and Tuesday, October 21-22, there will be education sessions for those interested in K-12 science education. Sessions will include panel discussions and hands-on activities. For more information please contact Don McCarthy (phone:  520-621-4079; e-mail:  [email protected]) or Larry Lebofsky (phone:  520-621-6947; e-mail:  [email protected]).

A registration form will be available at the DPS Web site and will be included in the second announcement, which will be available in early June. The deadline for preregistration is September 20, 1996.