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First Announcement
Date of issue: 1 February 2008
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The beautiful, green campus of the
University of Keele cordially invites you
to attend IAU Symposium 256 on "The Magellanic System: Stars, Gas, and
Galaxies", from Monday 28 July to Friday 1 August 2008.
All details and forms can be found on the conference website
http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/iaus256
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The last IAU Symposium dedicated to the Magellanic System took place ten years
ago, in Victoria (Canada). Since then, there has been enormous progress in
observing and understanding the physics and dynamics of the stars and the
interstellar medium within these nearby gas-rich galaxies, as well as their
global structure and mutual interaction.
Programme
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IAU Symposium 256 is dedicated to all aspects of Magellanic Cloud research
(including the Magellanic Bridge, Stream and Leading Arms) - see the
programme for more details. We have invited a
number of speakers to present key talks in certain areas, but we have ensured
plenty of opportunity for contributed talks. We expect strong competition for
these slots, however, and we therefore encourage anyone interested in
presenting a talk to submit a convincing
abstract by the 31 March
2008 deadline (poster abstracts are accepted until 18 July).
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Registration
The fee for early (deadline 30 May 2008) is 120
pounds. This covers local administration costs, and includes a copy of the
proceedings and conference stationary. The fee for registrations after this
deadline is 150 pounds. Registration closes on 18 July 2008. The
registration and payment form will go live in
March 2008. Pre-registered delegates will be notified by e-mail when this
happens.
Accommodation
We have booked accommodation on campus for about 200 participants. The packages
include all meals, assuming arrival on Sunday afternoon and departure on
Saturday morning (except dinner on the day of the conference dinner). Most
rooms have en-suite facilities (418 pounds total). Some rooms with shared
facilities are available at a cheaper rate (351 pounds total). A (very) limited
number of double occupancy rooms have been booked as well (429 pounds total per
delegate, but much cheaper for guests). All accommodation is allocated on a
first come, first served basis upon registration. If you do not wish to take
advantage of the accommodation packages you will still need to purchase a day
delegate package (137 pounds total) in addition to the registration fee in
order to be able to attend the symposium.
Financial assistance
We have limited funds available to assist delegates whose attendence is made
difficult by a lack of financial resources at their home institutions. These
funds are allocated on a competitive basis, with priority given to
students and delegates from countries with a weak currency or under-represented
groups of the astronomical community. The deadline for
applications for financial assistance is 29 February 2008. Note that your chances are greatly
increased if you also submit a proposed contribution accompanied by a strong
abstract by that (early) deadline. Students are
requested to ask their thesis director to e-mail a letter of support to us.
Travel
Keele is located in the United Kingdom between Manchester and Birmingham, in a
rural setting on a hilltop a few kilometers outside the towns of
Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent (famous for its Potteries, such as
Wedgwood, Doulton and Spode). There are good rail connections from Manchester
and Birmingham to Stoke-on-Trent (Crewe is somewhat further). Manchester
Airport is the nearest to Keele and has many intercontinental connections
(directly or via London or other European airports). Liverpool Airport and the
London airports are progressively less convenient alternatives.
Proceedings
All registered attendees receive a complementary copy of the conference
proceedings. These will be published by Cambridge University Press.
Style files and macros, as well as information about the page allocations will
be made available before the start of the symposium.
The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 15 September
2008. We must adhere strictly to this deadline, to ensure a timely
publication.
Cultural events
To relax after the scientific sessions, why not enjoy the programme of cultural
events we have put together?
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On Sunday evening, you are cordially invited to a complementary welcome
cocktail at the historical
Keele Hall, which is
situated in beautifully landscaped gardens on the university campus.
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On Monday evening, we host an open air performance of one of Shakespeare's
greatest works,
`Othello', in the gardens of
Keele Hall, by
Anvil Productions. This is
bound to be exceedingly good theatre, and a lot of fun. Tickets can be
purchased upon registration for the conference at 12.50 pounds, which includes
a guaranteed seat if purchased by 30 April 2008 (thereafter, a seat cannot be
guaranteed and you may need to lounge on the lawn instead).
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On Tuesday evening, there will be a public lecture on Archaeoastronomy, by
Professor Clive Ruggles. Although
free of charge, this promises to be an exciting presentation drawing a large
audience from the general public, and we therefore urge you to reserve a
ticket in advance (using the registration form).
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On Wednesday evening, we host a classical concert to be performed in the
University Chapel by the acclaimed ensemble
London
Concertante. The programme is put together exclusively for the symposium,
and will include pieces by
Herschel, Bach,
Mozart and Vivaldi. This event is open to the public, and we therefore
recommend you purchase your ticket(s) upon registration for the conference.
Tickets are 12.50 pounds.
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On Thursday evening will be the conference dinner, hosted in a beautiful 16th
century country manor house in south Cheshire,
Wrenbury Hall.
The costs for this three-course dinner are 40 pounds per person and include a
welcome cocktail and transport.
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Important dates
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29 February 2008 |
Submission deadline for financial assistance requests |
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March 2008 |
Registration and payment form goes live |
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31 March 2008 |
Submission deadline for proposed contributions |
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30 May 2008 |
Deadline for early registration |
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14 July 2008 |
Conference dinner menu choice |
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18 July 2008 |
Final deadline for registration, poster abstracts, and airport shuttle |
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28 July - 1 August 2008 |
IAU Symposium 256 takes place at Keele |
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15 September 2008 |
Deadline for submission of proceedings manuscripts |
We look forward to meeting you at Keele this Summer!
Jacco van Loon and Nye Evans, on behalf of the SOC and LOC
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