New discoveries about celestial objects ranging from nearby stars to distant galaxies will be featured in five press conferences at the 222nd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), 2-6 June 2013, at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225. More than 500 astronomers, educators, journalists, and guests are expected.

The AAS offers complimentary press registration to bona fide working journalists and public-information officers (PIOs); see details below. Note: Advance registration closes May 24th!

Gathering with the AAS is its new Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD), whose seven “Bridging Laboratory & Astrophysics” sessions span four days. There are also two multisession Meetings-in-a-Meeting: “WIYN Observatory: Building on the Past, Looking to the Future” and “Outer Limits of the Milky Way.” Other highlights include a baker’s dozen of plenary lectures by prize recipients and other distinguished astronomers, hundreds of oral and poster presentations, and several public-policy town halls, including opportunities to meet with representatives from NASA and the National Science Foundation.

In addition, for the first time ever, the AAS is opening its meeting to local amateur astronomers and other interested members of the public, who may attend on Monday or Tuesday, 3 or 4 June, for a special low rate. And there will be two free events for the public. First is a “star party” on Monday evening, 3 June, in which members of the AAS and the Indiana Astronomical Society will set up telescopes at Convention Center Plaza to view the planet Saturn, with its glorious rings and bright moon Titan. Second is a public lecture by “BBC Sky at Night” co-presenter Chris Lintott of Adler Planetarium and Oxford University, who will give a talk entitled “Discovering Planets From Your Sofa: Adventures in Citizen Science” on Tuesday evening, 4 June.

Our meeting hotel, the 4-star Westin Indianapolis, is connected to the convention center and the Circle Centre Mall by a covered sky bridge, providing easy access not only to all AAS and LAD sessions but also to more than 100 shopping, dining, and entertainment venues.

Main meeting website: http://aas.org/meetings/aas-222nd-meeting

AAS 222 press information: http://aas.org/aas-222nd-meeting/press-information

Search or browse the meeting program: http://aas.org/aas-222nd-meeting/science-program