The United Kingdom will welcome the world’s top astronomers next week, when
it hosts the International Astronomical Union’s General Assembly. This is
the first time in 30 years that the conference has been held in the UK, and
will bring about 2000 astronomers, from 87 countries, to the University of
Manchester for two weeks.
The assembly will feature almost 500 talks, on subjects as diverse as
searching for planets outside our solar system, the effects of the Sun’s
activity on Earth’s environment, space exploration and the structure and
creation of the Universe.
The Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, Sir Robert May, will
officially open the General Assembly on Wednesday, 9 August, although the
assembly as a whole runs from the 7th to the 18th of August. The General
Assembly is held only once every three years, and was last held in the UK
(in Brighton) in 1970.
FREE REGISTRATION FOR THE MEDIA
Registration is free for working media, press officers and public
information officers. Badges will be required for access to the meeting and
press room. Go first to the registration desk in the Whitworth Hall of the
University of Manchester (Oxford Road). The desk is open daily from 8.30
a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (except Sunday 13th August). Badges will be ready for
those have pre-registered. On-site registration is available to those who
have not.
The press room will be located in Crawford House, Seminar Rooms D & E
(ground floor). It will be open daily between 9 a.m and 6 p.m. from Monday
7th August to Friday 11th August, and on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th
August. The press room will close in the afternoon of Wednesday 16th August.
Outside press room hours, for media enquiries use Jacqueline Mitton’s mobile
phone number: 07770 386133.
Press room telephone numbers:
More details are available at the following web sites:
Meeting programme
Abstracts of papers
Administrative arrangements etc.
