Barely 20 years after the first planets were discovered orbiting other stars, the search for and characterization of exoplanets has become one of the hottest and most productive areas in astrophysics and planetary science. Next month more than 340 of the world’s experts in this field, observers and theorists alike, will present their latest findings at Extreme Solar Systems II (ESS II). The conference takes place September 11-17 at Jackson Lake Lodge in Moran, Wyoming, at the intersection of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

ESS II is a follow-up to a 2007 meeting in Santorini and, like that one, will cover all aspects of research on exoplanets, including the detection and characterization of exoplanets using current and planned techniques; planets in extreme environments such as around binary stars and in dense star clusters; planets around evolved stars such as giants, white dwarfs, and pulsars; and the many factors affecting planetary habitability. Numerous presenters are certain to unveil newsworthy discoveries at ESS II, including members of NASA’s Kepler team and representatives from a variety of ground-based exoplanet search teams.

On behalf of the ESS II organizing committee, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) offers complimentary press registration to bona fide working journalists and public-information officers; see details below.

The conference program begins Sunday afternoon, Sept. 11, with an opening reception. Talks will be given Monday morning, Sept. 12, through Friday afternoon, Sept. 16, with a half-day break on Wednesday afternoon. Note that unlike regular AAS meetings, there will be no parallel sessions: all oral presentations will be in plenary format. On Saturday, Sept. 17, there will be a number of activities offered by the hotel and available to all participants (for a fee), including a full-day tour of Yellowstone National Park. Some of the shorter activities may also be good options for the Wednesday-afternoon break.

ESS II meeting website: http://ciera.northwestern.edu/Jackson2011/

ESS II scientific program: http://ciera.northwestern.edu/Jackson2011/program.php

ESS II practical information (travel, lodging, etc.): http://ciera.northwestern.edu/Jackson2011/information.php

COMPLIMENTARY PRESS REGISTRATION

The AAS offers complimentary press registration to bona fide working journalists, as described on this Web page: http://aas.org/press/eligibility_for_press_credentials

To request complimentary press registration, send an e-mail message to AAS Press Officer Dr. Rick Fienberg at rick.fienberg@aas.org with your name and media affiliation (or “freelance” if applicable). Upon confirming your eligibility, he’ll send you the URL of an online registration form and the required press-registration code. Because space at the conference is limited, we cannot guarantee the availability of on-site registration, so if you wish to attend ESS II, you must register in advance. Deadline: Wednesday, August 31.

PRESS ARRANGEMENTS

If there are more than a few press registrants, the organizers of ESS II will try to find a quiet workspace, but this will be on a space-available basis, so don’t count on it. In any case, all conference venues will offer wireless Internet connectivity, and there should be plenty of power outlets in the meeting rooms.

There will be no formal news briefings at ESS II, and there is no provision for webcasting any of the presentations, but there may be several press teleconferences — audio only, via telephone — including one involving the Kepler mission. We also expect to receive numerous press releases in connection with ESS II presentations, and these will be posted as usual via the AAS email press-release-distribution service. More information on press telecons will appear in a subsequent advisory.

Contacts:
Dr. Rick Fienberg
AAS Press Officer
+1 202-328-2010 x116; cell: +1 857-891-5649
rick.fienberg@aas.org

Dr. Fred Rasio
Co-Chair, ESS II Sci. Org. Committee
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
+1 847-467-3419