http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/ Lunar and Planetary Institute Meetings Calendar, highlighting workshops, conferences and other meetings of interest to the planetary science community. en-us webmaster@lpi.usra.edu Copyright 2008, Lunar and Planetary Institute Sat, 17 May 2008 18:00:00 CDT http://www.lpi.usra.edu/images/lpi_logo_sm.gif http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/ 3553 120 01234561920212223 SaturdaySunday http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=TOP&page=mexdataworkshops St. Louis, Missouri. This workshop will provide graduate students, post-docs, and other Mars investigators with a working knowledge of how to use the Mars Express OMEGA and HRSC data sets. Workshop attendees are expected to supply their own computers equipped with IDL. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1063 http://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e/ Chiba City, Japan. This meeting is consisted by geoscience-related societies to help their researches and students exhibit their researches and exchange information and opinions. This meeting aims to strengthen a sense of unity and solidarity of Geoscience researchers and also contribute to expand researches of their academic fields. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1048 http://www.astron.kharkov.ua/conference/ssb/08/index.php Kharkiv, Ukraine. The conference is organized as a part of the memorial events devoted to the 200th anniversary of astronomy science in Kharkov and is planned to launch a series of regular meetings at the Astronomical Institute of Kharkov V.N. Karazin National University on the study of the solar system bodies. The main rationale of the conference is to provide a deep and comprehensive insight into selected aspects of the study of the solar system, bringing together observers, theorists in lightscattering, and geologists involved in the study of solar system bodies. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=965 http://www.on.br/glimpse/index.html Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Observatório Nacional has recently celebrated its 180th anniversary and as part of the commemorations we are organizing the meeting "A Glimpse into the Future of Astronomy" to be held at the institute, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil May 27-28, 2008. This two-day meeting has two main goals: 1) to survey some of the major projects and facilities currently envisioned for the next decade which will define the landscape of astronomical research for the foreseeable future; 2) to collect suggestions and recommendations from the speakers that may serve as important subsidies for a discussion of future investment strategies in the area, in particular for developing countries such as Brazil with relatively modest science budgets. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1080 http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/ Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 2008 Joint Assembly?a partnership among AGU, AAGG, CIGMEX, GS, MSA, SBGf, SEG, SPD/AAS and UMEC?is being held 27?30 May 2008 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale-Broward County Convention Center. The Program Committee is developing a Union-wide science program that will cover topics in all areas of geophysical sciences. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=613 http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/irspace/ Pasadena, California. In preparation for the Decadal Survey, and in celebration of the 25th anniversary of IRAS, we invite the community to a workshop to discuss strategies and plans for the future of far-infrared space astronomy. The goal of the workshop will be to define key science and technologies for the next generation of space-based far-infrared missions, based upon recent discoveries and the expected return of upcoming facilities, such as WISE, Herschel, SOFIA, JWST, ALMA, etc. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1022 http://www.on.br/newastronomy/ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1084 http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/Navigator/ces_exForum.cfm Pasadena, California. Exoplanet Forum 2008 will focus on these observational themes: imaging, coronagraphy, astrometry, interferometry, microlensing, transits, radial velocity, etc. For each theme, we will: 1) describe the exoplanet science of mission concepts that are likely to be considered by the Decadal Survey; and 2) describe the technologies needed to support these missions. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1047 http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html St. Louis, Missouri. In 2008, the annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific will be held from May 31 - June 4 in St. Louis, Missouri, as part of the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society -- in the form of a symposium with associated workshops. This meeting will bring together everyone interested in astronomy and space-science education and outreach to discuss international, regional, and local programs for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of the astronomical telescope. If you are interested in planning activities for 2009, this meeting is an excellent chance to learn more about what various institutions and organizations are proposing to do, and to coordinate your ideas with colleagues around the country and the world. There will also be model workshops on the weekend to demonstrate and develop techniques for reaching a wide range of audiences. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1023 http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/AASworkshops/workshops.html St. Louis, Missouri. First science flights of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) are expected in mid-2009. SOFIA is a 2.5-meter telescope in a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft that flies in the stratosphere above more than 99% of the infrared-obscuring water vapor. It is a joint program between NASA and the German Space agency, DLR. A process to help involve the U.S. scientific community in SOFIA's early science program began with a workshop at the Austin January 2008 AAS meeting. Attendees heard the latest information about the SOFIA mission and the observatory's instruments and scientific capabilities, and then broke into working groups to being drafting components of a white paper regarding SOFIA's main science themes. There will be a second SOFIA AAS workshop, to be held in St. Louis from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday June 1 (the day before the start of the main AAS meeting), to present drafts of the white paper components and continue discussions aimed at readying SOFIA's science case for the Decadal Review. All members of the astronomical community are welcome -- you do not need to have attended the January AAS SOFIA workshop. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1065 http://www.aas.org/meetings/ St. Louis, Missouri. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=590 http://solar.physics.montana.edu/SVECSE2008/ Bozeman, Montana. This international workshop will bring together solar and space physicists, climatologists and other interested scientists to discuss and explore the physics of solar variability and the pathways through which the latter influences our space environment and the global climate. We live in a time in which understanding the causes and consequences of global climate change and protecting our rapidly developing technologies in space and on Earth are becoming increasingly important. This workshop seeks to directly address these diverse but connected sciences, enabling a cross-disciplinary dialogue and exchange of ideas that is expected to positively impact our overall understanding of the Sun-Earth system. Covered subject areas would include the physics of the solar interior, the solar atmosphere, the heliosphere, the Earth's atmosphere and climate. Physical process that would be discussed would range in timescales relevant for space weather to space climate, with special emphasis on the latter. Beyond a comprehensive invited lecture program, four working group/open discussion sessions are also planned, which will focus on recent developments in the fields of (1) solar irradiance modeling, (2) progress in space weather modeling and forecasting, (3) long-term solar variability, solar-stellar connection and space climate, and (4) solar influence on global climate. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=911 http://opfm.jpl.nasa.gov/InstrumentWorkshop/ Monrovia, California. The Outer Planet Flagship Mission Instrument Workshop is designed to prepare the scientific community for an upcoming opportunity to propose instruments for the international Outer Planet Flagship mission that is planned for a new start in fiscal 2009. NASA and ESA are planning towards opportunity announcements for scientific experiments to fly on the mission. A decision is expected in November 2008 on whether the mission is a Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) or a Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM). The NASA Announcement of Opportunity is anticipated in the spring of 2009. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1093 http://www.asmda.net/chaos2008/ Chania, Greece. It is our pleasure to invite you to the forthcoming International Conference (Chaos2008) on Chaotic Modeling, Simulation and Applications. The study of nonlinear systems and dynamics has emerged as a major area of interdisciplinary research and found very interesting applications. This conference is intended to provide a widely selected forum among scientists and engineers to exchange ideas, methods, and techniques in the field of nonlinear dynamics, chaos, fractals and their applications in general science and in engineering sciences. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1031 http://www.ptmss.com/ Montreal, Quebec. The purpose for this conference is to promote a closer relationship between the space and mining sectors. The intent is to allow mining experts to network with space scientists and engineers, to share knowledge, and to foster collaboration. The focus of the conference will be solid planet sciences. Topics will be limited to the science and technology of exploring and exploiting resources on Earth as well as on other planetary bodies, such as the moon, Mars, asteroids, comets, etc. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1007 http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=TOP&page=3rd_mexdw_08 Madrid, Spain. This workshop is focused on the Mars Express MaRS (Radio-science, radio-occultation data) and MARSIS (radar) instruments. Instructors from instrument teams will lead lectures, tutorials, and hands-on sessions. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1081 /rascal/ Cape Canaveral, Florida. RASC-AL (Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage) is a design program targeted at university-level engineering students developed by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and sponsored by NASA. The program commences in September each year with the announcement of programmatic themes and culminates with the design project competition at the annual forum in June. Student teams, guided by a faculty advisor, work for one or two semesters designing solutions to real NASA engineering challenges. Teams are required to address the issues that a working NASA engineer would encounter, including Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and realistic assessment of project cost and schedule. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=905 http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/08geoInfo/index.htm Potsdam, Germany. Discovery, integration, management, and visualization of geoscience data with the goal of improving our understanding of the processes that have shaped the earth and our environment over time will be highlighted at the Geoinformatics 2008 Conference. Globalization of geoinformatics based research and education in support of meeting societal challenges will be significant for the conference. The Conference provides an international forum for researchers and educators from earth and planetary sciences, and information technology/computer science to present new data, data analysis or modeling techniques, visualization schemes or technologies as they relate to developing the cyberinfrastructure for the geosciences. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1049 http://www.sciences.univ-nantes.fr/geol/SuperEarths2008/ Nantes, France. There is a growing interest in the topic of super-Earths, including ocean planets, that are being discovered by both ground-based observatories and space telescopes (Spitzer and CoRoT). Questions such as the relationships between mass and radius of Earth-like planets, habitability, plate teconics, formation and evolution, and atmospheric composition are among those that will be addressed during this two-day workshop. One objective of this workshop is to discuss what we know (and don't know) about the Earth and the formation of the solar system in order to give us some directions on what we can expect to observe on super-Earths. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=907 http://www.astro.livjm.ac.uk/~airs2008/index.html Liverpool, United Kingdom. The aim of ASTRONET is to come to a concise European plan for the next 15-20 years on astronomy in its widest form, encompassing all energies (from radio to gamma-rays including astro-particles), all instruments (ground-based, space-based and laboratory), and all aspects (from the sun and its planetary system to the big bang and early galaxy formation). This symposium will provide a forum for the European astronomical community in its broadest sense, including observers, theorists, instrument developers and engineers, educators and communicators, to provide input toward developing an Infrastructure Roadmap detailing those facilities that will be necessary to deliver the vision, and addressing also other important aspects such as education, training and public awareness. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=969 http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2008/ Busan, Korea. Be part of the international community of scientists assembling in Busan, Korea, to discuss research in geosciences at the fifth meeting of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society. Scientists studying atmospheric science, hydrological science, planetary science, solar terestrial science, solid Earth science, ocean science, or interdisciplinary working groups are invited to this assembly of intellectual exchange opportunities. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=981 http://www.planetaryprobe.org/ Atlanta, Georgia. The goal of the workshop is to bring together an international group of scientists, technologists, engineers, mission designers, and policy makers with an interest in the exploration of solar system bodies with substantial atmospheres. The workshop scope covers the technological challenges and scientific opportunities that are both enabled and constrained by entry, descent, landing, and flight in planetary atmospheres. The sixth workshop will build on the success of the previous workshops to promote international cooperation in probe missions to solar system moons and planets bearing atmospheres, and to provide the opportunity for students, the next generation of planetary scientists, spacecraft engineers, technologists, mission planners, and policy makers to participate in these endeavors. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=666 http://tunguska.sai.msu.ru/ Moscow, Russia. This international conference is devoted to the 100-year anniversary of the Tunguska phenomenon. The purpose of the conference is to integrate the efforts of interdisciplinary experts in understanding the Tunguska event and similar impact phenomena. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=983 http://nicop.org Fairbanks, Alaska. Planetary Permafrost and Astrobiology will be a special session at the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost (NICOP), on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks during the week of June 29 - July 3, 2008, in Fairbanks, Alaska. The session is being organized by François Costard, David Gilichinsky, Nicolas Mangold, and Chris McKay. We encourage abstracts from the planetary science community studying permafrost and icy surfaces throughout the solar system and from the astrobiology community interested in organisms living or preserved in ice or permafrost. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=541 http://www.astro.umontreal.ca/astropol2008/ Quebec, Canada. We are pleased to announce the convening of a conference on UV - optical - infrared - mm/submm (OIM) astronomical polarimetry. The aim of the conference is to bring together workers in all areas of OIM astronomical polarimetry to discuss the most recent results in this exciting and crucial field, and to consider the potential for polarimetry with telescopes of all sizes. The meeting will concentrate on ground-based polarization measurements, and will include a session devoted to new and novel instrumentation. The remaining sessions will be organized according to the astronomical source rather than to wavelength regime or specific technique. Neither radio polarimetry nor solar polarimetry are within the specific focus of the conference, but each will be the subject of review talks which will set the scene for two of the conference sessions. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=912 http://titanaftercassini.com/ Corpus Christi, Texas. The symposium entitled "Titan After Cassini-Huygens" will be held at the Omni Hotel Bayfront Tower in Corpus Christi, Texas. The meeting is sponsored by the Cassini-Huygens Project and includes support from NASA, ESA, Southwest Research Institute, JPL, and others. The primary purpose of the meeting is to exchange ideas that will culminate in the publication of a Springer-Verlag book on the Titan system. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1033 http://www.scar-iasc-ipy2008.org/ St. Petersburg, Russia. The IPY Joint Committee has endorsed this event as the first in a series of international interdisciplinary IPY conferences. It is therefore cosponsored by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Sessions will take place in the Pribaltiskaya Hotel and at the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI). Topics include polar/global linkages; a sense of discovery; the poles as a vantage point for observations; and people and resources at the poles. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=984 http://www.goldschmidt2008.org/ Vancouver, Canada. The Goldschmidt Conference is the premier annual meeting in geochemistry, and Vancouver is repeatedly voted to be one of the best cities on the planet. This year?s conference will focus on the following themes: The Early Solar System: Chemistry and Chronology; Planetary Geochemistry; Early Earth: From Mantle to Microbes; Continental Crustal Evolution; Mantle Dynamics; Mantle Geochemistry; Experimental Petrology; Fluids in the Crust and Mantle; Subduction Processes; Magmatic Processes; Thermochronology; Resource Geochemistry; Terrigenous Sediments and Sedimentary Components; Fluid-Solid Interaction from the Atomic to the Global Scale; Marine Geochemistry; Weathering and Landscape Evolution; Paleoclimate; Environmental Geochemistry; Biogeochemistry; and Techniques; along with other general sessions. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1044 http://www.cospar-assembly.org/ Montreal, Canada. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=591 http://acm2008.jhuapl.edu/ Baltimore, Maryland. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=516 http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/nlsc2008/ Moffett Field, California. The conference will review the state of knowledge of, and opportunities for science of the Moon (study the nature and history of the Moon, including research on lunar samples, to learn about this specific object and thereby provide insights into the evolution of our solar system); on the Moon (investigate the effects of the lunar environment on terrestrial life and the equipment that supports lunar inhabitants, and the effects on the lunar environment of robotic and human presence); and from the Moon (use the Moon as a platform for performing scientific investigations, including observations of the Earth and other celestial phenomena that are uniquely enabled by being on the lunar surface). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1025 http://www.iceaustralia.com/aesc2008/ Perth, Western Australia. The Geological Society of Australia (GSA) and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) are delighted to invite you to participate in the Australian Earth Sciences Convention 2008. This is your opportunity to experience the stunning beauty of Western Australia?s unique and timeless geology, and join an outstanding selection of international speakers, industry leaders, and key decision makers in Perth, home to a globally significant mining and petroleum industry dependent on leading edge geoscientific data and technology. Themes include Geoscience in the Service of Society; Resources: Foundation for our Future; Evolution of Life and the Solar System; Earth's Environments: Past, Present, and Future; and Dynamic Earth: From Crust to Core. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=603 http://www.nwp.sci-nnov.ru/ Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. We are pleased to invited you to attend the upcoming International Symposium "Topical Problems of Nonlinear Wave Physics-2008" (NWP-2008). This meeting is a continuation of the previous symposia "Topical Problems of Nonlinear Wave Physics-2003 and 2005" (NWP-2003, 2005) that attracted leading experts from around the world. The upcoming Symposium will be devoted to recent progress in the interrelated fields of nonlinear physics with applications to systems of different origin. The Symposium will include three parallel topical conferences: NWP-1, Nonlinear Dynamics of Electronic Systems; NWP-2, Physics of Extreme Light; NWP-3, Global and Synoptic Nonlinear Processes in the Atmosphere. The meeting will be held onboard the river boat "Georgy Zhukov" cruising up and down the Volga river starting in Nizhny Novgorod. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=970 http://www.metsoc2008.jp/workshop/ Matsue City, Japan. The workshop precedes the 71st Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society held at the same venue. Many groups are recovering large numbers of meteorites from Antarctica. The purpose of the workshop is to gather meteoriticists to discuss issues relating to these collections, and how to allow these new discoveries to have the largest impact on our field. The workshop format will allow discussion of topics not usually covered during the regular sessions of the Meteoritical Society meeting. Specifically, the topics of interest will include the search, recovery, classification, weathering and curation of Antarctic meteorites. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1051 http://sibeclipse2008.nxt.ru Tomsk, Russia. On the threshold of the total solar eclipse in August, Tomsk State University is organizing a conference entitled "Dynamics of Solar System Bodies." The conference will consist of three workshops: Mutual Events, Occultations and Dynamics of Natural Satellites and Asteroids; Meteoroid Streams: Dynamics and Structure; and Informational Systems in Basic Research. On August 1, the Local Organizing Committee will organize a tour to a region located near the centerline of the zone of the total solar eclipse (Tomsk is in the 99% zone). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1018 /meetings/metsoc2008/ Matsue, Japan. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=592 http://www.saturnaftercassini.org London, United Kingdom. The Saturn Book Symposium entitled "Saturn After Cassini-Huygens" will be held at Imperial College London, UK, 28 July - 1 August 2008. The meeting is sponsored by the Cassini-Huygens Project and includes support from ESA, NASA, Imperial College, STFC. The primary purpose of the meeting is to exchange ideas that will culminate in the publication of a Springer-Verlag book on the Saturn system. The format will include invited talks on the various proposed chapters and poster sessions with summary plenary reporting for introducing new ideas and material that would be incorporated into the final text. The meeting will also conclude with presentations and discussions regarding the status of future plans by ESA and NASA to return to the Saturn system for further exploration. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1019 http://www.agu.org/meetings/wp08/ Cairns, Australia. The Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting (WPGM) provides an opportunity for AGU members, and members of the sponsoring societies in the western Pacific region, to attend a meeting that serves the needs of geophysicists interested in studies in the western Pacific region. Papers on all related aspects of geophysical sciences are encouraged. The 2008 WPGM is being held at the Cairns Convention Centre, Queensland, Australia. Surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage Rainforest, this tropical, yet sophisticated city offers a memorable time for all. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=614 http://www.irs2008.org.br Iguassu Falls, Brazil. The Symposium is organized every four years by the International Radiation Commission (IRC), and this edition will be hosted jointly by Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG) and Instituto de Física (IF) from Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais ? Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos (INPE/CPTEC), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and Universidade Federal de Itajubá (Unifei). This will be the first edition in South America and is an opportunity to share ideas and experiences on the current problems in atmospheric radiation from theory and modeling to measurements and applications on weather and climate. The official language of this symposium is English. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=996 http://www.33igc.org Oslo, Norway. Since 1878, the International Geological Congress - IGC has every four years been the meeting place for people interested in Earth Science, and in 2008 the Nordic countries will arrange the 33rd International Geological Congress in Oslo, Norway. 2008 will be ?The Year of Earth Sciences? including the 33rd IGC, the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), and the International Polar Year (IPY). With its strong emphasis on cross-disciplinary symposia, Earth sciences? societal impact, and on the Arctic, the Congress in Oslo will give you a unique opportunity to discuss high-level science in a broad perspective. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1008 http://www.33igc.org Oslo, Norway. Impact cratering is now recognized as one of the most important geological processes in our solar system, and this symposium allows an integrated approach to a broad spectrum of impact-related issues, such as effects on the biota and climate locally and worldwide, frequencies and variations in the type of impacts, crater formation processes, crater identification, comparisons with other planets, and much more. This is a vivid and exciting research field where major developments take place at a rapid pace. In particular, Scandinavia has the greatest concentration on Earth of recognized impact structures versus area. Some of the most interesting extraterrestrial signatures in the sedimentary strata also occur here, such as the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary clay in Denmark, and abundant mid-Ordovician fossil meteorites in southern Sweden. Join us for this symposium, which will be held in conjunction with the 33rd International Geological Congress. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=990 http://campus.umr.edu/6icchge/ Arlington, Virginia. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=593 http://gpd.jhuapl.edu Laurel, Maryland. The purpose of this conference is to discuss science as a process, using the ongoing debate about what should or should not be considered a planet as the framework for that discussion. Children and the broader general public have heartfelt interest in this subject, which presents a wonderful opportunity to reveal science as something much more than a list of facts to be memorized. It humanizes what scientists do in a way that allows non-scientists to easily relate. During the first two days of the conference, we will present what we have learned about planetary bodies over more than 40 years of robotic exploration of the solar system and what we are learning about planets around other stars. The IAU?s dynamical definition of a planet will be presented, as well as an alternative geophysical definition. The utility of each will be debated, along with other potential planet definitions. A public lecture and panel discussion, featuring scientists who are prominent in the debate on planet definitions, is planned for the evening of the second day, following a reception that concludes the scientific portion of the conference. The third day of the meeting will be an educator workshop to discuss how the question of "The Great Planet Debate" should be treated in schools and how that can be used as a springboard to discuss science as a process, as well as other topics in planetary science. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1030 http://sdss2008.uchicago.edu/ Chicago, Illinois. Over eight years of observations, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has transformed many fields of astronomy, from the identification of asteroid families to the discovery of the most distant quasars, from substructure in the outer galaxy to the large-scale structure of the universe. This broad-ranging symposium will review progress and prospects in these fields, including observational contributions from the SDSS and from other major surveys, theoretical interpretation of the results, and plans for the next generation of large astronomical survey projects. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1041 /meetings/lmi2008/ Vredefort Dome, South Africa. Impact cratering is a fundamental process ? if not the most fundamental one ? in the solar system and beyond. The process, its planetary effects, and environmental implications have been the subject of three Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution (LMI) conferences in 1992 and 1997 (both in Sudbury) and in 2003 in Nördlingen. Much progress has been made with field, experimental, and numerical simulation studies regarding the understanding of the impact process. Impact cratering has also entered the mainstream of geoscience research. Exciting international drilling and field projects are currently being undertaken, at the same time as new space programs to our neighboring planets and asteroids and comets are delivering important new insights. The conference presents an opportunity for participants to debate all aspects of impact cratering and its consequences on Earth and throughout the solar system. A special symposium will be convened concerning the characteristics of the three large impact structures on Earth: Chicxulub, Sudbury, and Vredefort. Special sessions are also expected to cover the recent ICDP drilling projects: Chicxulub, Bosumtwi, and Chesapeake Bay. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=214 http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/astrosurf/SIPML.html Il Ciocco, Barga, Italy. This discussion meeting will provide a survey of the basic science, contemporary techniques, and latest applications in surface sorption and interfacial processes at the molecular level. These topics will be covered by lectures, followed by discussion. There will also be the opportunity for ad hoc informal workshops and special seminars, highlighting key application areas. The discussions after the lectures and workshops will aim to encourage a high level of student participation in the school, which will also be promoted by poster sessions. The discussion meeting will consist of three main themes, to be introduced in plenary sessions: (1) surface processes in planetary and astrophysical science, including sorption under extreme conditions, insights from meteorites, and mineral formation; (2) complex heterogeneous interfaces, including molecules at surfaces, metal-ionic interfaces, grain boundaries in polycrystalline and amorphous materials, and overlayers and thin films; (3) surface evolution, including deposition and surface diffusion, crystal growth and dissolution, the surface-water interface, and templating and bio-mineralisation. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1086 http://www.dbag.unifi.it/issol2008/ Florence, Italy. Because of the multidisciplinary character, the study of the origin and early evolution of life, the aim of the conference is to discuss and integrate recent discoveries in manifold scientific fields of exo/astrobiology, including interstellar chemistry, comparative planetology, Precambrian paleobiology, chemical evolution and prebiotic chemistry, microbial evolution, genomics, extremophiles, the search for life in the Solar System, as well as historical and educational aspects related to the origin of life. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=594 http://www.astri.uni.torun.pl/~workshop/ Torun, Poland. The aim of the conference is to discuss the origin, dynamical and physical evolution of extrasolar planets orbiting stars from multiple stellar systems as well as planets from multiple planetary systems. Our goal is to cover both theory and observation with particular attention to the dynamics of multi-body configurations and diversity of their dynamical environments. The binary and multiple stellar systems are common in the solar neighborhood but by observational selection effects only a fraction of the known extrasolar planets belong to the multi-stellar systems or are members of multi-planet configurations. Nevertheless, their formation and dynamical evolution are the subject of ongoing intensive research. Different detecting tools and techniques which are key to characterization of planetary systems would be discussed. Special attention would be paid to the current state of the theory explaining the genesis of such systems. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1003 http://www.mpia.de/imprs-hd/SummerSchools/2008/ Heidelberg, Germany. Besides a yearly course program for graduate studies in astronomy and astrophysics, IMPRS Heidelberg has committed itself to organize an annual Summer School on up-to-date scientific topics. Internationally renowned scientists are invited as lecturers. Graduate students and early postdocs are particularly welcome to participate. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1088 http://www.els-xi-08.org/ Hatfield, England. The meeting will address theoretical developments and simulations, laboratory and field experiments, measurements and applications in light scattering by particles with emphasis on cosmic dust and planetary aerosols. The conference will be held at the University de Havilland Campus in Hatfield, just 20 miles north of London. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=974 http://www.els-xi-08.org/ University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The main objective of this meeting, very popular among the planetary scientists who study cosmic dust and planetary aerosols, is to bring together scientists and engineers researching various aspects of light scattering. The specific topics to be covered include (but are not limited to) new theoretical developments and numerical simulations of light scattering by nonspherical particles and particles with complex structures; laboratory and field experiments in light scattering by natural and artificial particles; applications of light scattering in particle detection, laboratory and field particle characterization; single and multiple light scattering in various cosmic objects, including interplanetary and comet dust, and aerosols in atmospheres of planets and exoplanets. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1083 http://www-obs.univ-lyon1.fr/js7/ Vienna, Austria. The Joint European and National Astronomy Meeting 2008 (JENAM 2008) will be held on September in Vienna, Austria, as the joint meeting of the Austrian Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics (OEGAA), the Astronomische Gesellschaft (AG), and the European Astronomical Society (EAS). It will be hosting nine symposia under the overall topic "New Challenges To European Astronomy". Under the JENAM 2008, we propose the organization of a joint ESF and JENAM meeting on ?Grand Challenges in Computational Astrophysics?. This meeting aims to bring together scientists in different fields of modern astrophysics to discuss computational methods and techniques, as well as scientific results achieved with high-performance computational facilities. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1089 http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/DNF08/ Heidelberg, Germany. The goal of the meeting is to present a comprehensive assessment of cosmic dust in all astrophysical environments where dust is important for the physical and chemical processes. The meeting is a sequel in a line of cosmic dust conferences starting in Albany in 1972 and following the last very successful meeting in the Rockies Conference Center organized by A. Witt in 2003. "Cosmic Dust - Near & Far" is scheduled at a time where new exiting cosmic dust data are expected from the Spitzer telescope, meteorite/IDP measurements, and the stardust mission and will take place shortly before the launch of the Herschel mission. The meeting is expected to cover new findings and future perspectives of cosmic dust in environments ranging from the solar system to galaxies and the early universe. Observational results, theoretical models, and the outcome of laboratory experiments will be addressed and their implication for future space missions will be highlighted. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=595 http://www.arcetri.astro.it/~elba2008/ Portoferraio, Italy. In the coming decade fundamentally new observing platforms and space probes will become available for solar system research. This workshop will provide a forum to discuss the use of these future facilities, especially also to optimize scientific use and to establish synergies. The goals of the workshop are to foster collaboration ground space (e.g. ESO-ESA); to define solar system science case for the E-ELT; to refine solar system science case for ALMA; and to create synergies between different wavebands. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=966 http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/bombardment2008/ Houston, Texas. One of the legacies of the Apollo program is the concept of late heavy bombardment or a lunar cataclysm that may have resurfaced the Moon and thermally metamorphosed its crust. Several recent studies have continued to test that concept and explore the implications any bombardment may have for our understanding of lunar evolution. It has also been posited to be a factor in the origin and early evolution of life on Earth. Recognizing the community?s interest in the topic, the Lunar and Planetary Institute and NASA are organizing a workshop to explore this theme. The workshop will provide an opportunity to integrate several diverse components of the above topic, including an assessment of the geologic record of impact cratering throughout the solar system, cosmochemical constraints on any early bombardment, and dynamic models that might explain the flux of debris and potential changes in the flux of debris. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1027 http://www.imo.net/imc2008/ Sachticka, Slovakia. The International Meteor Organization invites everybody interested in meteor astronomy to attend the 2008 International Meteor Conference. Every year some 70 to 80 meteor researchers from all over the world travel to this meeting. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1021 http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc2008/ Münster, Germany. The intention of the European Planetary Science Congress 2008 is to cover a broad area of science topics related to planetary science and planetary missions. The program will include oral and poster sessions, and it will emphasize workshops and panel discussions in order to have strong interaction between the participants. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=964 http://www.marscraterconsortium.nau.edu/ Flagstaff, Arizona. The Mars Crater Consortium (MCC) was founded in 1997 when David Roddy, Joseph Boyce, and Nadine Barlow began discussing the potential value of combining all the martian impact crater datasets that had been compiled from Viking data. Investigators interested in martian impact craters from observational, experimental, and theoretical perspectives were invited to attend the first MCC meeting at the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff in 1998. The Consortium membership continues to grow as new crater data are obtained from Mars spacecraft and theoretical/experimental advances are made in understanding the processes involved in martian crater formation. The first two days of the meeting will be devoted to discussion and presentations related to issues about martian impact craters and their formation. The second two days will be hands-on training on the use of GIS applications in planetary mapping. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1062 http://www.iafastro.com/index.php?id=78 Glasgow, Scotland. IAC 2008 will provide an international focus for the global space industry, academic researchers and students worldwide through the presentation of the latest ideas, current activities and future ambitions across a diverse range of pace-related topics. The theme for the 2008 IAC congress will be: "From imagination to reality." http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1010 http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2008/index.htm Houston, Texas. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=597 http://iaga.cu.edu.eg/ Cairo, Egyp. The goal of the symposium is the cooperation of scientists from different fields of space research to discuss the space weather parameters and its effects on navigations, spacecraft operations, aviation, and electric power. The presentations and discussions at the symposium will also focus on identifying the highest priority needs for operational services that can guide future research and identifying new high-value capabilities that can be transitioned into operations. The suggested preliminary scientific program will aim to address two main subjects: (1) space weather parameters; and (2) the impact of space weather on spacecraft and space navigation. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1012 http://ecole-doctorale.obspm.fr/rubrique163.html Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, France. Today, one decade after the discovery of the first giant exoplanet, we are entering a new era with the recent launch of CoRoT in December 2006. For the first time, we have a tool for detecting efficiently telluric planets via their transits in front of their host stars, as well as for measuring very accurately the characteristics of stars including their radius, mass and age, as well as their internal structure and rotation, via asteroseismology. The objective of the school is to introduce the students to the fields of stellar evolution and exoplanet science. The school also covers the techniques of asteroseismology, planetary transit detection, and more generally space-based ultra-high precision photometric monitoring. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1092 http://www.iram.fr/IRAMFR/IS/school.htm Grenoble, France. IRAM will organize this year its sixth millimeter-interferometry school. These schools have been held every two years since 1998. The school will take place at the IRAM headquarters (Grenoble, France). It is intended for Ph.D. students, post-docs, and scientists who want to acquire a good knowledge of interferometry and data reduction techniques at millimeter wavelengths. The program includes lectures on fundamentals of millimeter interferometry, atmopheric phase correction, data calibration and imaging techniques, the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI), and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). Tutorials will also be organized to help participants to become familiar with the reduction of PdBI data. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1032 http://dps08.astro.cornell.edu/ Ithaca, New York. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=596 http://www.mpia.de/class2008/ Ringberg Castle, Germany. Numerous current or upcoming astronomical surveys produce large amounts of photometric, spectroscopic and/or astrometric data. Object classification, parameter determination, novelty detection and the discovery of structure are important yet challenging tasks. This workshop will bring together scientists from a variety of fields in order to discuss the issues, identify common problems and solutions and to share ideas. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1090 http://www.nasm.si.edu/marsvalleynetworks/ Moab, Utah. This workshop is dedicated to reviewing our current knowledge of martian valley networks and their terrestrial analogs. For decades valley networks have been regarded as of the best evidence that ancient climatic conditions were capable of supporting liquid water at the surface of Mars. However, a variety of climate models have suggested that early Mars was always cold, forcing us to rethink how these features may have formed. Today the relative roles of groundwater sapping or surface runoff in creating these features remain unclear. Although much recent progress has been made in understanding the general ages of these features, spatial and temporal variations in valley network formation remains unclear. It is also generally difficult to apply traditional techniques for quantifying the characteristics of terrestrial stream channels to valley networks because so little information seems to be preserved. The workshop will be held in Moab, Utah, and the field trips will visit classic examples of theater-headed valleys in layered sedimentary rocks of the Colorado Plateau. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=985 http://www.ias.u-psud.fr/Mars_Phyllosilicates/main_1st.php Paris, France. The objective of this workshop is to increase our understanding of the martian surface environment in phyllosilicate-bearing localities. This includes identifying where and what kinds of phyllosilicates have been identified, how these relate to our knowledge from terrestrial sites and experimental results, and what we can expect to achieve with upcoming missions. Proposed agenda topics will include detection and mapping, formation processes, and implications for habitability (e.g., what can MSL and ExoMars tell us?). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1078 http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/spitzer2008/ Pasadena, California. The unprecedented infrared sensitivity of the Spitzer Space Telescope has enabled major advances in the study of protostellar, protoplanetary, and debris disks. Now, as Spitzer nears the transition from cryogenic to warm mission, it is an opportune time to assess and synthesize recent progress in our understanding of circumstellar disks and focus on the outstanding science questions for future work. At the meeting, results from Spitzer's surveys of circumstellar matter in the Milky Way will be considered in the context of work at other wavelengths and underlying theory in the following topic areas: Surveys of star-formation regions; Effects of environment and central object on young disk properties; Structure of protostellar/protoplanetary disks and envelopes; Spectroscopic diagnostics of circumstellar gas and dust; Transition disks, disk evolution, and planet formation; Frequency, structure, and theory of debris disks. The meeting should be a milestone for our community in assessing how Spitzer has impacted these areas of astronomy. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1067 http://hsvworkshop.msfc.nasa.gov/ Huntsville, Alabama. Complex processes govern magnetized plasma interactions between regions of differing magnetic fields. These boundary-layer interaction regions can be found at the Sun, at planetary magnetospheres, in the solar wind and in astrophysical plasmas. A variety of different processes such as magnetic reconnection, diffusion, finite gyroradii effects, wave-particle interactions, and stochastic acceleration have been presented as mechanisms responsible for mass and energy transport across these boundaries, but the relative importance and interdependence of these processes remain largely unresolved. The 2008 Huntsville Workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss what we know about these processes, refine the scientific questions that need to be addressed to progress in their understanding, explore the direction of future experimental and theoretical research, and consider applications to future exploration of the heliosphere. The workshop focus on interdisciplinary sessions will provide for fruitful discussions and a broad basis for further understanding the physics involved in these processes. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1004 /meetings/leagilewg2008/ Cape Canaveral, Florida. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1029 http://www.aip.de/IAUS259/ Puerto Santiago, Tenerife, Spain. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=598 /meetings/modeling2008 Williamsburg, Virginia. The unique interest that we have in Mars is due in large part to its atmosphere, which has shaped its history and surface and may have created climatic conditions that were suitable for sustaining surface liquid water and possibly life in the past. The study of the martian atmosphere is also of great interest for studies of comparative meteorology, in order to better understand Earth's atmosphere and to improve our knowledge of the martian environment for future robotic and human missions. The goal of the workshop is to bring together experts in modeling and observations of the Mars atmosphere and climate system and to discuss the nature of the atmospheric structure, circulation, and chemistry (up to the neutral thermosphere); the dust cycle; the water cycle (vapor, clouds, and frost); the carbon dioxide cycle (polar caps and clouds); the photochemistry of the Mars atmosphere; the early atmosphere of Mars; and the evolution of the atmosphere of Mars. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1042 http://www.congrex.nl/08C16/ Frascati, Italy. A number of cataclysms have occurred in the history of the universe and the solar system. The symposium will review those that had a critical influence on the evolution of habitable worlds and on the emergence and survival of life on Earth, and possibly elsewhere. The sessions will discuss the following topics: Big Bang and the formation of light elements, element nucleosynthesis in stars and Supernovae; Violent processes in star formation, interstellar/circumstellar shocks and the synthesis of molecules; Collisions and planetary formation Formation of the Moon and its influence on Earth; Late heavy bombardment and the emergence of life; The role of impacts in inhibiting, transporting or threatening life; Hazards from stellar flares and space weather; Hazards from black holes and gamma ray bursts; Cosmic habitability, prevalence of Earth-like planets, the fate of the Earth; Historical, outreach and education aspects of cataclysms (e.g. Tunguska 1908). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1050 http://www.agu.org/meetings San Francisco, California. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=611 http://www.aas.org Long Beach, California. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1043 http://www.contact-conference.org Mountain View, California. CONTACT is a unique interdisciplinary conference that brings together social and space scientists, science fiction writers, and artists to exchange ideas, stimulate new perspectives, and encourage serious, creative speculation about humanity's future? onworld and offworld. Each year we meet to promote the integration of human factors into space age research and policy, emphasize the interaction of the arts and sciences and their technologies, and develop ethical approaches in cross-cultural contact, whenever and wherever it occurs. This year will mark the 25th anniversary of CONTACT. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1082 http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2009&program=origins South Hadley, Massachusetts. This conference will bring together meteoriticists, cosmochemists and astrophysicists interested in the formation of planetary systems. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1026 http://www.geomorphology2009.com/ Melbourne, Australia. The scientific program will accommodate all aspects of geomorphology, including river management, landscapes and geomorphic processes in drylands, ancient landforms and regolith, fire and geomorphology, global environmental change and geomorphology, landscape connectivity, applications of long-term chronometric methods, including cosmogenic isotopes, landscape and process modelling, coastal geomorphology, hillslopes and mass movement, applied and urban geomorphology, Quaternary and glacial geomorphology and dating, especially of the southern hemisphere, karst geomorphology, and geomorphology and archaeology. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=975 http://mop2009.uni-koeln.de/index.php Cologne, Germany. The next Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets conference will take place in Cologne, Germany, from the 27th of July until the 31st of July 2009. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1013 http://www.iaga2009sopron.hu/ Sopron, Hungary. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1085 http://rebel.ig.cas.cz/Tatry2009/index.html Stará Lesná, Slovakia. After the dynamo workshops held in Al?ovice (1979), Liblice (1988) and T?e?? (1997) that were organized by Ivan Cupal, and the workshop in Modra (1996) that was organized by Jozef Brestenský and Sebastián ?ev?ík, we would like to invite you to another dynamo conference in the territory of previous Czecho-Slovakia. The meeting welcomes contributions dealing with hydromagnetic dynamos, magnetoconvection and various hydromagnetic processes acting in the Earth's core, planetary cores, in the Sun and other stars, in galaxies, accretion discs and other astrophysical objects, and also laboratory hydromagnetic and dynamo experiments. Contributions focusing on theoretical issues, experimental studies, numerical modeling, etc. are cordially invited. Both oral and poster presentations are foreseen. We would like to especially encourage young researchers, such as PhD students and Post-Docs, to use this opportunity and present results of their studies. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/?event=1091