AAS Meeting Sessions & Content

Contributed Sessions make up the bulk of the science presentations at AAS meetings. These sessions are not proposed; instead, they are built from the collection of abstracts submitted for each meeting. Contributed abstracts may be either oral or poster presentations; they are sorted into sessions by a committee of volunteers shortly after the abstract deadline for each meeting. More information about submitting abstracts to Contributed Sessions can be found in the Abstracts section below.

Special Sessions are for current observatories, missions, and facilities to discuss scientific results and plans, and for discussion of education and state-of-the-profession topics. There is no required format, and they may feature multiple speakers, a panel discussion, or other presentation formats. Town-Hall-type events should not be proposed as Special Sessions.

How to submit: Submission deadlines and a link to the Special Session proposal submission page are published on each AAS meeting web page in advance of the meeting.

Special Sessions are:

• Scheduled in response to proposals from AAS Full Members
• Selected by the Committee on Meetings from submitted proposals
• Held at both the winter and summer meetings
• 90 minutes long
• Scheduled in parallel with the mid-morning and mid-afternoon contributed sessions 
• Scheduled on any of the four meeting days

Additional notes for proposing Special Sessions:

• Special Session organizers will automatically be assigned as their Session Chairs unless AAS staff is advised otherwise.
• Special Session speakers will be sent a link to submit an abstract to the Special Session. This link will allow the abstract to be directly submitted to the Special Session.
• Special Session organizers will receive a Session Building link a few days before the Session Building deadline. Please be prepared to complete this process within the few days that are allocated.
• Each Special Session will have the standard A/V equipment: LCD projector, screen, laptop (dual operating systems), microphone, and podium. Please see Standard Speaker Ready and Audio Visual Information for more details.

A Meeting-in-a-Meeting provides an opportunity at summer meetings for extended discussion of current space missions and ground-based facilities, or of science topics of current interest. It comprises a coordinated set of sessions covering a single overall theme.

How to submit: Submission deadlines and a link to the Meeting-in-a-Meeting proposal submission page are published on each AAS meeting web page in advance of the meeting.

Meeting-in-a-Meeting Sessions are:

• Scheduled in response to proposals from Full AAS Members
• Selected by the Committee on Meetings from submitted proposals
• Held only at summer meetings
• Two to seven sessions long, at 90 minutes each
• Scheduled in parallel with other special and contributed sessions
• Flexible in format, but an opening introductory talk for a non-specialist audience is highly recommended

Town Halls are intended for federal agencies and national observatories to present policy information and to solicit feedback from their user communities. Missions and facilities (current and future) that wish to focus on science capabilities and results should select one of the other session categories to propose to (Special Sessions, Splinter Meetings, Workshops, or Exhibitors).

How to submit: Submission deadlines and a link to the Town Hall proposal submission page are published on each AAS meeting web page in advance of the meeting.

Town Halls are:

• Scheduled in response to proposals from AAS Full Members
• Selected by the Committee on Meetings from submitted proposals
• Held at winter and summer meetings
• One hour in length and typically held 12:45 – 1:45 pm or 6:30 – 7:30 pm
• Scheduled on any of the four meeting days
• Scheduled in parallel with other events

Additional notes for proposing Town Halls:

• Town Hall organizers will automatically be assigned as their Session Chairs unless AAS staff is advised otherwise.
• Each Town Hall will have the standard A/V equipment: LCD projector, screen, laptop (dual operating systems), microphone, and podium.

AAS Workshops are focused meetings, typically with a small group of participants, usually on an educational, programmatic, or career topic. Workshops are typically collaborative and interactive. Some examples of Workshops include tutorials on use of astronomical software, introductions to tools related to scheduling and data analysis for observatories and missions, and communications training. Formal Working Group meetings for observatories and missions are usually scheduled as Workshops.

How to submit: Submission deadlines and a link to the Workshop proposal submission page are published on each AAS meeting web page in advance of the meeting.

Workshops are:

• Scheduled in response to proposals from AAS Full Members
• Selected by the Committee on Meetings from submitted proposals
• Held at summer and winter meetings
• Have a length of half a day, a full day, or two full days
• Held only on the Saturday and/or Sunday immediately before the start of the main meeting
• Scheduled in parallel with other workshops
• Considered part of the main AAS Meeting, and are not free-standing. Workshop participants must register for the AAS meeting in some capacity

Additional notes for proposing Workshops:

• Organizers are responsible for all costs associated with the Workshop, including (but not necessarily limited to) the Logistical Staff Support & Administration Fee ($550 per day) and the minimum A/V Labor Fee ($100). Any additional costs such as catering and equipment rental fees and all applicable taxes and service charges are also the responsibility of the Workshop organizer. No exceptions will be granted to this requirement.
• The Administration Fee and base A/V Fee will be collected prior to the meeting. All other charges for costs approved by the organizers will be billed by the AAS to the organizers or sponsors following the conclusion of the meeting.
• All Workshops will have a minimum registration fee of $35 and these collected funds will be used to offset the Workshop costs. The AAS reserves the right to cancel any Workshop that has not covered the expected costs through collected registration fees or funds provided by the organizers. The decision to cancel will be made one week before the Workshop is held. If a Workshop is canceled, full refunds will be provided to Workshop registrants and the organizers for any prepaid Workshop costs. The minimum number of registrants required to cover the base expenses is 12 ($550/$35). Organizers will be given the opportunity to cover any deficit for the Workshop costs if cancellation is indicated by low registration counts.
• Individual speaker abstracts are not published for Workshops.
• Organizers must submit a summary of the Workshop topic and content.
• Organizers must complete the online form in full and provide information to assist AAS staff in scheduling and logistics.
• All Workshops will appear on the AAS meeting registration form. If you do not wish your Workshop to be included on the registration form, please request a different type of session (e.g., a Splinter Meeting) instead.

Splinter Meetings are science or programmatic meetings that do not fit the definition of Special Session (e.g., longer than 90 minutes, a focused instrument team meeting, or with a by-invitation audience). Proposers should consider whether a Special Session, a Workshop, or a summer Meeting-in-a-Meeting could meet their objectives instead. If a large remote attendance is anticipated, proposers might also consider whether a free-standing event outside of the AAS meeting could better serve their needs.

How to submit: Submission deadlines and a link to the Splinter Meeting proposal submission page are published on each AAS meeting web page in advance of the meeting.

Splinter Meetings are:

• Scheduled in response to proposals from AAS Full Members
• Reviewed by the AAS Vice Presidents, who reserve the right to reject or modify the proposed session in consultation with the organizer
• Held at winter and summer meetings
• Scheduled before, during, or after AAS meeting days. Additional fees may apply to meetings scheduled after the AAS meeting closes
• Flexible in length and format
• Potentially scheduled in parallel with other sessions

Additional notes for proposing Splinter Meetings:

• Splinter Meetings can be proposed as Private (by invitation only) or Open (available to AAS attendees)
• Open Splinter Meetings will be scheduled not to conflict with AAS invited and prize talks. Private Splinter Meetings can be scheduled at any time.
• Organizers must submit a summary of the meeting topic, objective, and content — along with complete contact information — both in their proposal prior to the meeting and onsite.
•  A brief summary provided by the organizer will be published in the online meeting program (for Open Splinter Meetings only)
• At virtual and hybrid AAS meetings, Splinter Meetings will receive a dedicated Slack channel
• Costs associated with the AAS administration fee, catering, and equipment rental are the responsibility of the Splinter Meeting organizer. The fees will be invoiced by the AAS once the meeting closes and is audited.
• Deadlines for submitting Splinter Meeting proposals, notices of acceptance, and logistical details such as specific room assignments will be shown on the meeting web pages

Additional rules for remote access to Splinter Meetings:

• At in-person and virtual AAS meetings, Splinter Meeting organizers who want access to the internet for their meeting must order and agree to pay for the cost of an ethernet drop (or its equivalent) as part of the session proposal. 
• If dedicated technical help is needed or desired by the organizers, that will be billed separately and such help must be requested at the time of the session proposal submission.
• Organizers may allow participants who are not registered for the meeting to participate in their session virtually. Participants cannot be charged an additional fee for virtual attendance by the splinter session organizers.
• Organizers must use their own Zoom licensing (or equivalent meeting software) and manage virtual participation, including access control and security, for their sessions. 
• The AAS will not be responsible for technical support for remote access (unless the organizer has ordered and agreed in advance to pay for support).
• The AAS is not responsible for monitoring such sessions for proper behavior, including adherence to the AAS Meeting Code of Conduct. Organizers are responsible for ensuring that all participants in their Splinter Meeting sessions adhere to the AAS Meeting Code of Conduct.
• Splinter Meeting sessions will be listed in the online program and platform, but Zoom links will not be; organizers must distribute the participation link to their prospective virtual attendees. AAS will not provide organizers with meeting attendee lists with email addresses.

Presentations come in three primary formats: iPoster presentations, Oral presentations, and Dissertation presentations.

In addition, submitted abstracts typically fall into five categories: Plenary presentations, Research Contributed presentations, History Contributed presentations, Education Contributed presentations, and Community and Profession presentations.

Read on for descriptions and tips for each.

Presentation Formats

iPoster Presentations

Video Tutorial

Description:

iPoster presentations can be submitted by attendees. With the iPoster system, you will be able to create an visual+oral presentation using the iPoster interactive presentation that includes high-resolution images, high-definition videos, narration, interviews, viewer surveys, and more.

• You will be scheduled to present your iPoster during the morning or evening poster session in the Exhibit Hall.
• You will create your iPoster online using easy-to-use, web-based templates.
• You can add as much text and media content as you need to present your research with all the detail it deserves.
• Your iPoster will be displayed at an in-person meeting on large-format HD touch screens and will be downloadable to smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers during the meeting and for six months after it concludes.
• Following your presentation, you may stand at an available terminal and answer additional questions from attendees.
• iPoster screens are available at all other times to display the iPosters in the gallery.

Tips:

• After your abstract is scheduled, you will receive a username and password to log in and author your iPoster.
• Viewers can reach out to you via the "Contact Author" button at the bottom of your poster.
• You may wish to include narration so attendees can listen to your presentation (while they scroll through your iPoster) even when you're not there.
• If you are a student, you may wish to enter your iPoster as a candidate for the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award. Please visit the link for eligibility requirements.

Oral Presentations

Video Tutorial

Description:

Oral presentations can be submitted by both attendees. To avoid too many oral sessions running simultaneously, the number of oral presentation time slots is limited. Oral presentations can be changed to posters if there are no remaining slots. All authors whose abstracts are changed will be notified.

• Five minutes are allowed for the normal oral presentation.
• Three minutes are allotted after each presentation for questions and open discussion.

Tips:

• When preparing your presentation, we suggest a maximum of three slides for a five-minute talk. Slides should be uncluttered and easy to read.
• Practice a few times so the presentation fits comfortably into the five-minute slot.
• Read the AV instructions.

Dissertation Presentations

Dissertation presentations can be submitted by attendees. If you would like to present a dissertation abstract, select the "Research Contributed/Dissertation" option in the abstract submission form.

• Dissertation presentations are 15-minute oral presentations plus 3 minutes for discussion. They should be based on the author’s dissertation material and will be presented within regular oral sessions of appropriate topics.
• Only students or graduates within one year (as measured from the regular abstract deadline date, not the date of the meeting) of having a Ph.D. conferred by their university or college are eligible; the author’s advisor must attest to this fact in writing. The author must submit a copy of the thesis advisor’s letter in PDF format through the abstract submission website by the abstract deadline. A PDF copy of an email message is sufficient as long as the advisor’s email address is legible. If the advisor letter is not received, the dissertation will automatically be treated as a regular abstract.
• Students or graduates wishing to submit dissertation abstracts must be accepted for membership in the AAS by the abstract deadline.
• These abstracts are subject to the same rules of preparation and submission as regular abstracts, but they will be specially marked with a “D” in the program materials.
• If you are attending a winter meeting, you may wish to be considered for the Rodger Doxsey Travel Prize. Please review the background and rules for application.

Presentation Categories

Plenary Presentations

• Prize Lectures
• Invited Lectures

Plenary sessions are 50 minutes long; no other sessions or events are scheduled in parallel with them. To allow time for introductions, prize presentations, and question-and-answer (Q&A) periods, prize and invited lecturers should plan to speak for at most 40 minutes. Plenary speakers will receive special abstract and presentation instructions from the AAS Executive Office.

Research Contributed Presentations

• Research Contributed Oral & iPoster Presentations
• Dissertation Oral Presentations

History Contributed Presentations

• History Oral Presentations & iPoster Presentations

Education Contributed Presentations

• Education Oral & iPoster Presentations
• Community & Profession Presentations

Research, History, Education, and Community & Profession oral presentations, as well as Dissertation oral presentations, are arranged by topic and are scheduled in 90-minute sessions of five to nine talks each. For a Research, History, or Education oral presentation, allow 5 minutes for the talk, 3 minutes for Q&A, and 2 minutes for change-over. For a Dissertation oral presentation, allow 15 minutes for the talk, 3 minutes for Q&A, and 2 minutes for change-over.

Research, History, Education, and Community & Profession iPosters allow far more time and flexibility than the corresponding oral presentations. iPosters will be arranged by topic and are created online using easy-to-use, web-based templates. Your iPoster will be displayed in the iPoster Gallery and will be downloadable to smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers during the meeting and for at least one year after it concludes. You can add as much text, media content, and recorded narration as you need to present your research with all the detail it deserves.

Other Types of Abstracts

• Division prize & invited presentations
• Division contributed oral and iPoster presentations
• Special Session invited presentations
• Special Session contributed oral and iPoster presentations

When AAS Divisions meet with the AAS, they organize oral and poster sessions and sometimes, prize and/or invited lectures. The latter are sometimes scheduled into regular oral sessions and may have time limits different from those associated with plenary presentations or contributed oral presentations; Division prize and invited lecturers will receive special abstract and presentation instructions from the AAS Executive Office or their respective Division leaders.

The format of Special Sessions and Meetings-in-a-Meeting are at the discretion of the organizer, who may choose to include invited presentations and/or contributed oral and/or iPoster presentations. Invited lecturers will receive special abstract and presentation instructions from the AAS Executive Office or their respective session organizers. If contributed presentations are welcome, suitable categories will be included on the abstract submission form. Acceptance of such abstracts is at the discretion of the relevant session organizer, but if a paper is not accepted into the requested Special Session, it will be scheduled in another appropriate session of contributed presentations. If enough iPoster abstracts are received, an associated poster session will be scheduled on the same day(s) as the Special Session.

Categories are used as a guide for the Scientific Organizing Committee to build coherent sessions. The final session assignments and session titles are at the discretion of the Committee.

Research Contributed Presentations

• The Sun
• The Solar System
• Extrasolar Planets: Direct Imaging
• Extrasolar Planets: Radial Velocities
• Extrasolar Planets: Transits
• Extrasolar Planets: Atmospheres
• Extrasolar Planets: Formation of Planets and Protoplanetary Disks
• Extrasolar Planets: Populations
• Stars, Cool Dwarfs, Brown Dwarfs
• Stellar Evolution, Stellar Populations
• Stellar Atmospheres, Winds
• Circumstellar Disks
• Multiple Star Systems
• Pulsating Variable Stars
• White Dwarfs
• Neutron Stars (Pulsars, Magnetars, Pulsar Wind Nebulae)
• Black Holes
• Cataclysmic Variables, Novae, and Symbiotic Stars
• Supernovae
• Planetary Nebulae, Supernova Remnants
• Molecular Clouds, HII Regions, Interstellar Medium
• Dust
• Star Formation
• Young Stellar Objects, Very Young Stars, T-Tauri Stars, H-H Objects
• Star Associations, Star Clusters - Galactic & Extra-galactic
• The Milky Way, The Galactic Center
• Dwarf and Irregular Galaxies
• Elliptical Galaxies
• Spiral Galaxies
• Starburst Galaxies
• AGN and Quasars
• Evolution of Galaxies
• Galaxy Clusters
• Large Scale Structure, Cosmic Distance Scale
• Intergalactic Medium, QSO Absorption Line Systems
• Cosmology
• Cosmic Microwave Background
• Dark Matter & Dark Energy
• Relativistic Astrophysics
• Strong and Weak Gravitational Lensing
• Gravitational Waves and Multi-messenger Astronomy
• Gamma Ray Bursts
• Instrumentation: Space Missions
• Instrumentation: Ground Based or Airborne
• Catalogs
• Surveys and Large Programs
• Computation, Data Handling, Image Analysis
• Astrobiology
• Machine Learning Methods
• Transients and Time-domain Astronomy
• Public Policy
• Observatory Site Protection, Light Pollution, Radio Interference and Space Debris
• Community and Profession
• Open Science
• Education
• History
• Laboratory Astrophysics
• Other

Community and Profession

• Community and Profession

History Contributed Presentations

• History

Education Contributed Presentations

• Education Research
• Community and Profession
• Practice, Undergraduate Non-science Majors
• Practice Upper-Level Undergraduate and Graduate
• Public Outreach
• Other

Eligibility

Any Member or Affiliate of the AAS may submit an abstract; a Nonmember may submit an abstract with a sponsor once every 10 years. Pending Members of the AAS may submit an abstract. Please contact the Membership Department to submit your membership applications.

AAS Members

• Any AAS member may submit an abstract. You can verify your membership status in the Member Directory.
• Undergraduate Student Members must name a sponsor during the abstract submission process.
• Suspended/Inactive members must reinstate their membership.

AAS Affiliates

• Affiliates are required to have a sponsor who is an active AAS Full Member; the sponsor will be notified via email, but no action is required on their part.
• Educator Affiliates may only submit education-related abstracts.
• Suspended/Inactive Affiliates must reinstate their membership.

Nonmembers

• Nonmembers can only present once every 10 years.
• Nonmembers are required to have a sponsor who is an active AAS Full Member; the sponsor will be notified via email, but no action is required on their part.
• Undergraduate nonmembers must submit an abstract as a nonmember and are subject to the usual rules governing the presentation of abstracts by nonmembers.
• Society of Physics Students Affiliates are considered nonmembers for abstract submission and may register at the Undergraduate Student Member rate.

Abstracts Per Meeting

An abstract (which will appear in the meeting program) must be submitted for every presentation. There following are types of presentations:

• Invited talk (plenary or prize)
• Research Contributed presentation (including Dissertation presentation)
• Special Session presentation
• Meeting-in-a-Meeting presentation (Summer Meeting Only)
• History Contributed presentation
• Education Contributed presentation
• Division Meeting presentation (when applicable)
• New: Community & Profession presentation

You may present a maximum of three (3) papers from the above types, four (4) when a Division jointly meets with AAS), selecting no more than one paper for any one type. This applies to in-person, fully remote, and hybrid meetings, as well as to both regular and late-breaking abstracts.

Exceptions to the three-paper limit are rarely granted but may be considered on an individual basis by the Vice Presidents.

If you present at a Special Session or a Meeting-in-a-Meeting and your presentation is listed in the meeting program, that counts as one of your three papers.

There is no limit to the number of papers that you may co-author.

Additional Rules

• Abstracts must be submitted through the online system.
• Presenters must be listed as the first author of the paper.
• Presenting/first author must register for the meeting.
• Presenting/first author must be the presenter at the meeting. On rare occasions, AAS will consider exceptions to this rule in the case of a major illness or other emergencies. The first author should e-mail the three AAS Vice Presidents in advance of the presentation, explaining the situation and suggesting a backup presenter.

The meeting and abstract schedule are published in various formats:

• Online Abstracts — Available prior to the meeting; includes full abstract text.
• Astrophysics Data System (ADS) — Abstracts are sent to ADS and typically published after the close of a meeting.