Well, it’s that time of the year again — when thousands of astronomers convene to present their new findings. This year, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) winter meeting takes place in Austin, Texas. It officially begins Sunday the 8th, which is when I head down. I lived in Austin for a year and a half before returning to Astronomy magazine, and I am excited to visit the city again. (Texas BBQ is definitely one reason.)
Some 2,800 astronomers are expected to attend the AAS conference, and the press schedule looks packed with new discoveries. There are also a few presentations about the state of huge projects (like the James Webb Space Telescope [Hubble’s successor] and the Kepler mission to detect extrasolar planets) and other public events, so if you’re in the Austin area for those, consider heading over to the convention center.
While at the conference, I’ll be blogging and tweeting (@Astronomymag) to report new science findings. It’s also a great time to catch up with the astronomers I’ve communicated with for our Ask Astro column and other articles in the magazine (plus my previous professors and fellow science writers).