NAM 2019: First media announcement

Around 500 astronomers and space scientists will gather at Lancaster University, from 30 June – 4 July, for the Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy Meeting 2019 (NAM 2019). The conference is the largest annual astronomy and space science event in the UK and will see leading scientists from the UK and around the world present the latest cutting-edge research.

NAM 2019 incorporates the RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM), and includes the annual meetings of the UK Solar Physics (UKSP) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere Solar-Terrestrial (MIST) groups. The conference is principally sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Lancaster University.

Sessions at NAM 2019 will cover a diverse range of topics in 34 parallel sessions, including galaxies, the history and fate of the Universe, future instruments and space probes, and the impact of the Sun on the Earth.

Alongside the formal meeting will be a public lecture by Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who will speak about the 1919 expeditions to Principe and Sobral to verify Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Meeting arrangements and a full and up to date schedule of the scientific programme can be found on the official website https://nam2019.org and via the conference Twitter account https://twitter.com/rasnam2019

Details of media releases, and registration information, are on our dedicated conference media page at https://nam2019.org/press-releases

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend the meeting and can register at no cost. Press room facilities will be available for the duration of the conference – from 0900 BST on Monday 1 July to 1500 BST on Thursday 4 July. A series of releases, issued under embargo, will cover key scientific results presented at the meeting.

For free registration, and to obtain access to embargoed releases via the (password-protected) media site, please contact a member of the press team (see below).

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Dr Robert Massey

Royal Astronomical Society

Tel: +44 (0)20 7292 3979

Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699

[email protected]

Ms Anita Heward

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243

[email protected]

Dr Morgan Hollis

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7802 877700

[email protected]

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS, http://www.ras.ac.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/royalastrosoc

Facebook: https://facebook.com/royalastrosoc

Instagram: https://instagram.com/royalastrosoc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RoyalAstroSoc

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is part of UK Research and Innovation – the UK body which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. STFC funds and supports research in particle and nuclear physics, astronomy, gravitational research and astrophysics, and space science and also operates a network of five national laboratories as well as supporting UK research at a number of international research facilities including CERN, FERMILAB and the ESO telescopes in Chile. STFC is keeping the UK at the forefront of international science and has a broad science portfolio and works with the academic and industrial communities to share its expertise in materials science, space and ground-based astronomy technologies, laser science, microelectronics, wafer scale manufacturing, particle and nuclear physics, alternative energy production, radio communications and radar.

STFC’s Astronomy and Space Science programme provides support for a wide range of facilities, research groups and individuals in order to investigate some of the highest priority questions in astrophysics, cosmology and solar system science. STFC’s astronomy and space science programme is delivered through grant funding for research activities, and also through support of technical activities at STFC’s UK Astronomy Technology Centre and RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. STFC also supports UK astronomy through the international European Southern Observatory.

T: https://twitter.com/stfc_matters

Lancaster is a research-intensive university which combines world-class research with excellent teaching and high levels of student satisfaction.

Lancaster University is among the best in the UK. Top 10 in all three major national league tables, it is also highly ranked in international league tables such as the QS World Rankings.

Its 6th-place ranking in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019, as well as the award of the coveted University of the Year title for 2018, cements its place as an elite UK university.

For more information please see http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/about-us/rankings-and-reputation/