The city of Zürich, which dates back to the times of the Celts and Romans, is known as the "Little Big City" because of its economic and cultural importance. In addition to the city's being an international banking center, the University of Zürich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), the two largest universities in Switzerland, are located in Zürich and regularly occupy top positions in international rankings.

Zürich is located on beautiful Lake Zürich and is surrounded by hills formed during glacial times. On clear days the Alps can be seen from the city.

Location: The oral and poster sessions will be held in the main building of ETH, an impressive nineteenth century building designed by the famous German architect, Gottfried Semper. The meeting venue is very close to the city center and is within a few minutes' walking distance to most of the recommended hotels. Most places of interest are also within walking distance or can be reached by an excellent public transportation system.

MetSoc2006 on the Web: Additional information regarding accommodations, meeting activities, etc., can be found on the Zürich meeting Web site.

Transportation: The Zürich Intercontinental Airport is 10–15 minutes from the main train station (Zürich Hauptbahnhof or Zürich HB for short), and trains to and from the airport run every 10–15 minutes. Being in the heart of Europe, Zürich is also well served by international trains. The Hauptbahnhof is only a 5–10 minute walk from the meeting venue.

Weather: Weather in Central Europe is notoriously unpredictable, and Zürich is no exception. Daytime temperatures in early August are often in the 25°C (around 80°F) range, with much sun during the day and with mild evenings. However, temperatures often vary from the average in August, so be prepared for either hotter or cooler temperatures, with occasional rain, during the time of the meeting. The water temperature in Lake Zürich is around 23°–26°C in early August. So pack your swimsuit, but don't forget an umbrella.

Desert Meteorites Workshop: Immediately prior to this year's Meteoritical Society meeting, a Desert Meteorites Workshop will take place in Casablanca, Morocco, August 3–4, 2006. There are direct flights between Casablanca and Zürich.

• analytical developments
• astrobiology
• accretion and differentiation of primitive materials
• asteroids and comets
• beyond the solar system
• chondrites, carbonaceous
• chondrites, others
• chondrules
• classification of meteorites
• chronology of early solar system events
• cosmogenic nuclides
• differentiated meteorites
• fall and recovery of meteorites
• historical aspects
• impact processes and structures
• interplanetary dust particles and micrometeorites
• isotopic anomalies
• lunar samples and lunar meteorites
• low-temperature components
• Martian meteorites
• nebular or presolar processes
• parent body processes
• planets, Mars
• planets, Moon
• planets, others
• presolar materials
• refractory inclusions
• sample return missions, results, and prospects
• shock effects
• space missions, other
• special session: star and planet formation - astrophysics meets cosmochemistry
• other

All meteorite names appearing in abstracts must have been approved by the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society. Abstracts submitted in violation of these requirements will NOT be published in the journal. It is recommended that you submit to the Committee any new meteorite name included in your abstract for approval by April 20. The Committee cannot guarantee that meteorites submitted after this time will be processed and approved by the time of the abstract deadline. To check the publication status of a meteorite, please use the "Quick Meteorite Name Search." A representative of the Meteorite Nomenclature Committee will be reviewing the submitted abstracts to make certain that all authors are in compliance with these policies. The program committee reserves the right to reject any abstract found to be in violation of these rules.

Complete instructions for authors, templates, and a sample abstract page from a previous volume are provided.

The electronic abstract submission form will be deactivated on May 9, at 5:00 p.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time, so it will not be possible to submit a late abstract. Abstracts must be submitted in Microsoft Word (PC or Mac) or rich text format. PostScript files will be accepted only from authors who CANNOT submit files in Microsoft Word format.

Provisions for Hard-Copy Submission:  If for some reason you will be unable to submit your abstract electronically, you must contact the LPI by fax (281-486-2125) to request the necessary forms and instructions for submitting by hard copy. These requests must be accompanied by a valid fax number, phone number, and e-mail address. The deadline for hard-copy submissions is May 2, 2006. Hard-copy submissions received after that date will be returned to the author.

Online Abstract Fee Payment: After you have uploaded your abstract and have received a confirmation number from LPI, you will be directed to the secure fee payment page. The abstract fee, $45.00 USD per abstract, can be paid on line by Visa or MasterCard only. You can also access the payment page directly at packrat.aml.arizona.edu/Orders/Metsoc69.html.

Payment by Check:   If you submit your abstract as a hard copy, or are unable to pay with Visa or MasterCard, please print out the abstract fee page. Include your abstract number (as assigned by LPI) and the first author's name and mail this page and a check for $45 USD to:

Meteoritics & Planetary Science
RE: METSOC 69 Fee Payment
University of Arizona — Geosciences
4717 East Fort Lowell Road, Room 104
Tucson, AZ 85712-1201, USA

Program Abstracts and Presentation Facilities:  The program and abstracts will be placed on line no later than June 15, 2006. These files will be in PDF format, viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 6.0 or higher). MAPS abstract volumes will be mailed prior to the meeting, and participants are encouraged to bring these to the meeting. To save costs, the Meteoritical Society council has approved that only CD-ROMs containing the abstracts will be provided in registration packets. For oral presentations, LCD or overhead projectors will be provided; no slide projectors will be available.

Upon request, we will provide registrants with official letters to be filed with visa applications. Please contact Beatrice Luethi and provide your full name, date of birth, country of citizenship, and passport number.

On Wednesday afternoon, August 9, there will be an excursion to the beautiful city of Rapperswil on an early twentieth-century steamboat. Called the City of Roses, Rapperswil is a charming old town with a castle. In addition to walking around the town, you can cross the lake at its most narrow point on a reconstructed traditional wooden bridge, as well as visit the Children's Zoo. Transportation back to Zürich will be by bus.

The annual banquet will be held on Thursday evening, August 10, at the lakeshore, within walking distance of the city center or easily reached by public transportation. Please indicate on the meeting registration form if you prefer a vegetarian meal. The banquet is included in the registration fees of participants and guests.

During the meeting, a help desk maintained by Zürich Tourism will assist meeting participants and guests in planning their sightseeing activities in and around Zürich. Some of the major tourist attractions are described on the Zürich meeting Web site. If you plan to stay in Switzerland before or after the meeting, you may find the MySwitzerland Web site useful.

The Annual Street Parade in Zürich will take place on Saturday, August 12, after the meeting has concluded. The Street Parade is Europe's largest Techno Music Party and will attract perhaps 500,000 people of all ages, all of whom feel young on this day. To be part of this truly remarkable event, meeting participants may want to consider extending their stay for one more night. Ear plugs will be included in the meeting's welcome package in case participants decide to stay for the noisy Street Parade.

While this event is extremely popular, it is not anticipated that there will be a shortage of hotel rooms during the week of the meeting. Nevertheless, we recommend early booking, in particular for the low-cost hotels.

(1) A four-day excursion to the Alps, guided by expert geologists and staff members of the High Altitude Research Station at Jungfraujoch, is planned for Saturday, August 12, to Tuesday, August 15. The tour is limited to 40 people, due to restrictions at the Jungfraujoch Research Station. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on this excursion and registration, please visit the Zürich meeting Web site.

(2) A one-day field trip is planned for Saturday, August 12, to a little known outcrop of distal Ries impact ejecta, located in the valley of the Sitter River, about 8 km north of St. Gallen, ~180 km from the Ries crater. Prior to the outcrop, we will visit the baroque cathedral and abbey district in St. Gallen dating back to the eighth century. This assemblage contains the most impressive abbey library in Switzerland and was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1983. The field trip is limited to 20 participants and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and registration, please visit the Zürich meeting Web site.

The registration fee covers meeting attendance and all social events such as the Wednesday afternoon excursion and the Annual Banquet. No reduced single-day registration fees are offered. Fees have to be collected in Swiss Francs. The exchange rate between Euro and Swiss Franc has been very stable lately; hence the prices in Euro given as guideline should not change very much until summer.

The registration fee does not include abstract fees. Please pay the abstract fee when submitting your abstract.

Cancellation policy:  A 15% cancellation fee will be charged on cancellations received until July 24, 2006. NO refunds will be given after July 24, 2006.

CONFERENCE ORGANIZER
    Rainer Wieler
    ETH Zürich
    Department of Earth Sciences, NO C61
    CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
    Phone: +41 44 632 37 32
    Fax: +41 44 632 11 79
    E-mail: wieler@erdw.ethz.ch

MEETING SECRETARIAT
    Valentina W. Müller
    E-mail: Wmueller@erdw.ethz.ch

TREASURY AND CONGRESS OFFICE
    Beatrice Luethi
    E-mail: events@luethiorganisation.ch

For information regarding meeting logistics and announcements, contact

LPI MEETING COORDINATOR
    Kimberly Taylor
    Publications and Program Services Department
    Lunar and Planetary Institute
    3600 Bay Area Boulevard
    Houston TX 77058-1113
    Phone: 281-486-2151
    Fax: 281-486-2125
    E-mail: taylor@lpi.usra.edu

For information regarding abstract submission, contact

    Linda Tanner
    Phone: 281-486-2151
    Fax: 281-486-2125
    E-mail: tanner@lpi.usra.edu