ZAH Astronomers Convention 2020

Please register HERE and provide us additonal information to customize the convention according to your personel preferences. Especially the number of and initial setup of our discussion tables will depend on your information.

Registration is open until Thursday, Febr. 12, 2026. A list of participants will be provided HERE (opt-in, see registration).

The Center for Astronomy at Heidelberg University (ZAH) conducts research activities across a broad spectrum of astronomical disciplines. Despite this scientific diversity, ZAH scientists share fundamental expertise essential for achieving top-level results in a highly competitive international field of natural sciences.

The last AstroCons in 2016 and 2018 (AstroCon 2020 was canceled due to COVID-19) focused on sharing knowledge about the individual research projects of ZAH and former SFB-members, improving or establishing new scientific networks, and strengthening the sense of community among ZAH/SFB members working at four different locations in Heidelberg. Although the concept of parallel sessions focusing on key local research directions was well received at the time, the recurring problem was that many participants would have liked to attend all parallel sessions – which was obviously not possible.

This time, we will therefore attempt to implement a new strategy for YOUR networking: Just as brain cells form specific connections in response to specific requirements, this time we will attempt to apply a type of neural networking to connect YOU with colleagues in a way that enhances YOUR strengths and/or YOUR expertise with regard to a specific requirement within a given overall scientific context.

This overall context will be "observational techniques, data mining, data analysis, and instrumentation" (draft context). Regarding this context, you will likely have specific requirements, e.g., you may need specific observations to clarify the observables predicted by your theoretical models. Someone else might provide such suitable observational data, have access to relevant data, or have the expertise to analyze or use this data in a particular way.

With this in mind, the AstroCon 2026 will proceed as follows:

• We will begin with a concise plenary session in which representatives from ZAH institutes will inform the audience about their local data- or instrument-based science projects. They will not focus on scientific questions, but rather on available methods, sources, or instruments with direct or indirect access (e.g., 4MOST, JWST, Gaia, CARMENES, LAMOST, Rubin/LSST, VO), access to computer servers/clusters, and existing or planned databases.
• The plenary session will then be followed by Splinter meetings dedicated to YOUR "neural networking." For this purpose, we will establish a certain number of "round tables," representing "brain cells." Each cell will receive an initial topic, which, in our image of neural networking, corresponds to a kind of "demand generator" that attracts YOU because YOU find this topic interesting or because the progress of YOUR research requires this connection. YOU act like a nerve fiber connecting to sites of peak neuronal activity.
• Once the exchange of information and discussions begin, the initial topic can change, either attracting other scientists or leading them to another topic being discussed within a different "cell" that is currently more relevant to them. But how do YOU know about thematic developments at other tables? This task is performed by "table moderators." Their job is to pass on information about the current topic to other tables (the technical implementation will be explained in due course). The table moderators participate in the discussion themselves and can, if necessary, switch to other tables where the discussion is currently more interesting to them. In this case, they simply transfer their role as table moderator to another colleague who is currently sitting at the table.
• Which topic is currently being discussed at each table is dynamically displayed on the walls of the seminar rooms. This way, everyone is always informed about the status of the discussion at other tables and can decide to join another, more attractive "cell."

We hope that this experimental method of networking will connect YOU and other participants for optimal mutual benefit.

The organising commitee consists of N.N., N.N., N.N. and Guido Thimm. In case of questions you can contact us via mail to astrocon@uni-heidelberg.de.