Who Should Attend | Registration | Where to Stay | Program/Schedule | Posters | Registrants List
The American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force will host a solar eclipse planning workshop Friday-Saturday, June 9-10, 2023, at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104. This workshop will immediately follow the 242nd AAS meeting, which will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center June 4-8. (Registration for the two events is separate.)
The outreach team for NASA's PUNCH (Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission is collaborating with us to organize and implement the workshop. Under the theme "Ancient & Modern Sun-Watching," PUNCH Outreach is exploring links between NASA heliophysics and a petroglyph in Chaco Canyon, NM, that may represent the solar corona during an eclipse there in 1097. Both the leader of the PUNCH mission, Craig DeForest, and the leader of the outreach team, Cherilynn Morrow, will be on hand with resources to help enrich the experience of workshop participants.
Format
The workshop will be conducted in a hybrid format, accommodating both in-person and remote/virtual attendees. Plenary sessions and most breakout discussions will be accessible in real time to off-site attendees via Zoom Events. We will record all the plenary sessions and as many of the breakout sessions as we can, and we will make the recordings available on this web page and on our YouTube page after the workshop.
Who Should Attend
Our Albuquerque workshop is for everyone involved (or wanting to become involved) in preparing their community for the October 2023 and/or April 2024 North American solar eclipses, whether on or off the eclipse path(s). We are especially eager to have attendees who worked to prepare their community for the August 2017 solar eclipse and have lessons learned and best practices to share with others who are going through this for the first time.
Past workshops have attracted amateur and professional astronomers; formal and informal educators; local, state, and national government officials; representatives from the tourism and hospitality industries; professionals in health, safety, transportation, and emergency management; local, state, and national park rangers; artists, filmmakers, and event planners; and many others who recognize the challenges and opportunities presented by solar eclipses.
Whether you’re already working on plans for the coming eclipses or haven’t yet begun, this workshop will provide you with practical, actionable advice and information to help ensure successful and inspiring engagement with the coming eclipses.
Registration
Registration is now open! Space for in-person registrants is limited, so if you want to join us in Albuquerque, we encourage you to register as soon as you can. Among other things, in-person registration covers continental breakfast and lunch each day. Virtual registration covers the cost of equipment and support for the Zoom Events platform. Bonus: All attendees, both in-person and virtual, will receive a 12-by-18-inch print of the new poster created for the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force by astronomer-artist Tyler Nordgren (Space Art Travel Bureau) and pictured at right.
Registration Fees
- 2-day in-person registration: $100
- 1-day in-person registration: $50
- Virtual registration: $35
Note that all registrants will receive a Zoom Events link, so even if you attend in person for just 1 day, you'll still have access to both days virtually.
Deadlines
- Last day to register (for in-person or virtual attendance): Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 9:00 pm EDT
- Last day to switch from in-person to virtual attendance and receive a partial refund: Friday, May 26, 2023
- Last day to cancel either category of registration and receive a full refund: Friday, May 26, 2023
Where to Stay
We've arranged for discounted rooms at two hotels within walking distance of the workshop venue. These special rates are available for up to four nights, beginning with check-in on Thursday, June 8th, and ending with check-out on Monday, June 12th.
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
Located 0.4 mile (a 7- to 9-minute walk) from the museum (Google map | Hotel website). This is the more luxurious option, with prices starting around $235/night plus taxes and fees. Follow the link below to book your room online at the special rate, and make sure you adjust the dates at the top of the webpage to match your itinerary:
- Book a room at the Hotel Albuquerque
- Or call 505 (843-6300) and mention "the Heritage Events discount for the AAS eclipse workshop" to get the special rate.
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn
Located 0.75 mile (about a 15-minute walk) from the museum (Google map | Hotel website). Prices start around $145/night plus taxes and fees. Follow the link below to book your room online at the special rate, and make sure you adjust the dates at the top of the webpage to match your itinerary:
- Book a room at the Best Western
- Or call (505) 843-9500 and mention "the AAS eclipse workshop" to get the discount.
Program/Schedule
The following program is subject to change. All times are local times in Albuquerque, i.e., Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), which is 1 hour ahead of PDT, 1 hour behind CDT, and 2 hours behind EDT.
Plenary sessions will be held in the STEM Lecture Hall (1st floor). Breakout discussion sessions will be held there and in STEM Classroom 2 (also 1st floor). We'll also have some resource tables and activity demos outside the Planetarium (2nd floor), and solar observing will be conducted, weather permitting, in the Observatory (also 2nd floor) or on the deck outside.
Before the Workshop: Wednesday, June 7, 2023
07:00 pm to 08:00 pm — "Two Solar Eclipses Are Coming to Albuquerque"
- The AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force and the outreach team for NASA’s PUNCH mission are jointly offering a FREE public presentation in conjunction with the AAS meeting that precedes our workshop. It will be held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center's Albuquerque Journal Theatre, 1701 4th Street SW. See our Public Event page for details. NOTE: This event is in-person only and will not be available via Zoom.
Workshop Day 1: Friday, June 9, 2023
08:30 am to 09:00 am — Continental Breakfast
09:00 am to 09:15 am — Welcome & Introductions
09:15 am to 10:15 am — Plenary Session 1
- Data-Driven Lessons Learned from the 2017 U.S. Eclipse and What to Expect in 2023 & 2024
- Tips for spreading the word about what we learned from 2017; how to present this information to the uninitiated to help get them on board; designing experiences that take into account what we learned last time; strategies for measuring success.
- Presenters: Debra Ross (AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force) on the types of impact data available and how to find it; Jay Anderson (Eclipseophile.com) on climate vs. weather and how to interpret climate statistics for eclipses; Kate Russo (BeingInTheShadow.com) on a case study from the Australian total solar eclipse of April 20, 2023; Janet Ivey (Janet's Planet) on a case study of the August 2017 solar eclipse in Nashville, Tennessee; Kristen Erickson (NASA) on lessons drawn from NASA's eclipse programs in 2017; Carrie Falzone (Vertical Insite) on setting up websites to maximize visibility and measure success.
10:15 am to 10:30 am — Break
10:30 am to 11:30 am — Plenary Session 2
- The Personal and Community Experience On & Off the Eclipse Path and in Urban & Rural Environments
- Messaging tips about what eclipses are like and why they can offer a profoundly personally meaningful and community-building experience; designing events for before, during, and after maximum eclipse.
- Presenters: Cris White (Earth to Sky Partnership) on how to create community-oriented, place-based engagement to tie a solar eclipse, which happens out in space, to your location on Earth; Trish Erzfeld (Perry County Heritage Tourism) on engaging rural communities; Gena McPherson (Ravenna, Nebraska) on how even small, remote communities with few resources can prepare for an eclipse; Harvey Henson (Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale) on designing large-scale (e.g., football-stadium-sized) events; Julia Bradshaw (Oregon State University) on creating arts events and developing community preparedness; Kate Russo (BeingInTheShadow.com) on how regions outside the path of the Moon's umbral shadow can make the most of the partial eclipse.
11:30 am to 12:30 pm — Lunch
12:30 pm to 01:30 pm — Parallel Breakout Discussion Sessions
- Breakout Session 1: Follow-up to Plenary Session 1 on Data from 2017 and Expectations for 2023 & 2024
- Breakout Session 2: Follow-up to Plenary Session 2 on Community Planning On and Off the Eclipse Paths
01:30 pm to 01:45 pm — Break
01:45 pm to 02:45 pm — Plenary Session 3
- Transportation & Emergency Management for Communities in the Path and on Major Routes into the Path
- Tips for informing communities and all relevant stakeholders in advance about how to prepare for an influx of visitors; traffic and related considerations for planning large-scale eclipse events.
- Presenters: Jim Stack (Genesee Transportation Council) on strategies and tactics that the GTC has been using to motivate stakeholders and convey transportation issues; Lori Maher (Genesee Transportation Council) on how public employees should follow their instincts, educate themselves, find influencers, collaborate, and convey planning needs clearly and frequently to decision-makers, even if they lack specific guidance from their organization’s leadership; Mark Howell (Grounded Truths, LLC) on out-of-the-box thinking in preparedness and response as well as the 3 T's of eclipse planning — travel/transportation, toilets, and trash — especially for rural communities; Michael Zeiler (GreatAmericanEclipse.com) on what his drive-shed maps show and what they mean for your community.
02:45 pm to 03:00 pm — Break
03:00 pm to 04:00 pm — Parallel Breakout Discussion Sessions
- Breakout Session 3: Follow-up to Plenary Session 3 — Focus on Transportation & Traffic
- Breakout Session 4: Follow-up to Plenary Session 3 — Focus on Emergency Preparedness
04:00 pm to 04:15 pm — Break
04:15 pm to 04:45 pm — Day 1 Closing Remarks
05:00 pm to 07:00 pm — Reception at the Mill Room, Sawmill Market (1909 Bellamah Ave. NW, a 5- to 10-minute walk from the museum); sponsored by the National Esports Association.
Workshop Day 2, Saturday, June 10, 2023
08:30 am to 09:00 am — Continental Breakfast
09:00 am to 09:15 am — Welcome Back & Announcements
09:15 am to 10:15 am — Plenary Session 4, Part I
- Engaging Formal & Informal Educators and Their Audiences in Solar Eclipses
- Pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to cancel school and work on eclipse day; how to ensure that everyone under the Sun experiences the eclipse safely and enjoyably and understands the basic science of what's happening and what they're seeing.
- Presenters: Angela Speck (Univ. of Texas, San Antonio & AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force) on the variety of audiences and venues for engaging formal and informal educators; Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation) & Charles Fulco (Brooklyn Friends School) on convincing administrators to approve school-based eclipse watches (“No Child Left Inside”) and connecting solar eclipses to national education standards; Andrew Fraknoi (Univ. of San Francisco & San Francisco State Univ.) on setting up partnerships for education; Kelly Korreck (NASA) & Alex Lockwood (NASA) on NASA's eclipse-education efforts; Kim Eaves (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) on NOAA's plans to educate students and teachers about the upcoming eclipses.
10:15 am to 10:30 am — Break
10:30 am to 11:30 am — Plenary Session 4, Part II
- Engaging Formal & Informal Educators and Their Audiences in Solar Eclipses
- Pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to cancel school and work on eclipse day; how to ensure that everyone under the Sun experiences the eclipse safely and enjoyably and understands the basic science of what's happening and what they're seeing.
- Presenters: Julie Bolduc-Duval (Discover the Universe) on eclipse-education efforts under way in Canada; Derrick Pitts (Franklin Institute) on strategies for science museums and planetariums on or off the eclipse paths; Doug Duncan (University of Colorado) on two new educational and inspirational videos about solar eclipses; Craig DeForest (Southwest Research Institute) on NASA's PUNCH mission and its connection to the coming solar eclipses; Cherilynn Morrow (NASA PUNCH Outreach) on PUNCH connections to education and citizen science; Amir Caspi (Southwest Research Institute) on Citizen CATE 2024's education and community partnerships.
01:30 am to 12:30 pm — Lunch
12:30 pm to 01:30 pm — Plenary Session 5
- Exploring the Universe of Solar Eclipse Resources for Education & Outreach
- Activities and curricula that teach about eclipses at various grade levels, consistent with relevant standards; desired learning outcomes for different age levels; learning tools and activities to enhance the eclipse experience.
- Presenters: Deb Ross (AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force) on resource links from the AAS; Dan McGlaun (Eclipse2024.org) on visual resources and eclipse simulators; Michael Zeiler (GreatAmericanEclipse.com) on maps of eclipse circumstances; Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation) & Andrew Fraknoi (Univ. of San Francisco & San Francisco State Univ.) on education resources for librarians, teachers, and school administrators; Norma Reis (Brazil) on podcasts for educators about eclipses in history; Cherilynn Morrow (NASA PUNCH Outreach) on the "PUNCH Bowl" of outreach resources related to the theme "Ancient & Modern Sun-Watching."
01:30 pm to 01:45 pm — Break
01:45 pm to 02:45 pm — Parallel Breakout Discussion Sessions
- Breakout Session 5: Resource Share-a-Thon
- Presenters: Cherilynn Morrow (NASA PUNCH Outreach), Angela Speck (Univ. of Texas, San Antonio & AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force), Dan McGlaun (Eclipse2024.org); Michael Zeiler (GreatAmericanEclipse.com), Doug Duncan (Univ. of Colorado, Boulder), Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation); anyone else with resources to share!
- Breakout Session 6: Eclipse Science for Everybody
- Presenters: Kevin Reardon (National Solar Observatory) on understanding the solar corona; Holli Kohl (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Science Systems and Applications, Inc.) on citizen science with GLOBE Eclipse; Amir Caspi (Southwest Research Institute) on the Citizen CATE 2024 experiment; Juan Carlos Martinez Oliveros (Univ. of California, Berkeley) on photographing totality for the Eclipse Megamovie.
02:45 pm to 03:00 pm — Break
03:00 pm to 04:00 pm — Plenary Session 6
- Ensuring Access for All to the 2023 & 2024 North American Solar Eclipses
- Strategies for messaging in advance to underserved communities; various ways to experience eclipses, including using assistive technologies.
- Presenters: Anita O’Brien (Rochester Accessible Adventures) on on ensuring that all of your event plans are developed through a lens of inclusion; Allyson Bieryla (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian) on ensuring access to solar eclipses for blind and visually impaired persons via LightSound; Cherilynn Morrow (NASA PUNCH Outreach) on using tactile art representations of the solar corona; Derrick Pitts (Franklin Institute) on outreach to diverse audiences; Jayne Aubele (NM Museum of Natural History & Science) on strategies for engaging Native American and Hispanic communities in the coming solar eclipses.
04:00 pm to 04:15 pm — Break
04:15 pm to 04:45 pm — Calls to Action & Workshop Closing Remarks
Contributed Presentations
Posters
Registered attendees are invited to submit PDF posters. These will be made available online for attendees to download and read during and/or after the workshop.
PowerPoint, Keynote, or other presentation software is a great way to create such a poster, though you could work in Word or anything else you find suitable. Whatever program you use, save or export your presentation as a PDF. Use settings optimized for display on a screen (as opposed to, say, publication-quality printing) to minimize the file size.
Once you’ve created your poster, use our poster submission form to send it to us. You may submit more than one poster if you wish. Poster submission deadline: Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 2 pm PDT / 5 pm EDT (because we need time to upload all the posters into our online collection).
More Information
See our workshops page for information about past and future workshops, including links to recordings and presentations from our April 2021, April 2022, and October 2022 workshops.
For questions about the workshop or other activities of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force, email eclipse@aas.org. If you're not already on our email list to receive announcements about upcoming workshops and other task force activities, please click the following button and fill out our sign-up form.