When and where

April 27-29, 2026. Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile.

Meeting rationale and topics

A national meeting on exoplanet research, bringing together the Chilean community of scientists, students, and collaborators working on planets beyond the Solar System. The meeting aims to connect different projects and research groups, identify points in common, and foster new collaborations, while actively engaging students in the discussions and activities.

Topics covered

  • Exoplanet detection and characterization
  • Methods and Technologies for Exoplanet Science (AI, instrumentation, surveys, big data)
  • Planet Formation and Disk–Planet Interactions
  • Chile in the Exoplanet Landscape (facilities, collaborations, strategy)
  • Education, Outreach and Engagement, including Indigenous Knowledge
  • Community and Future Directions

    • Important dates

    Registration is now open.

    • Registration closes January 30, 2026.
    • Preliminary program: March 15, 2026
    • Meeting starts: April 27, 2026

    Program Overview

    The program is preliminary and may be adjusted once registration is complete, to best accommodate participants' contributions and interests.

    Day 1 — Monday, April 27

    Community Mapping (“Vaciado”) + Talks
    Morning Welcome & goals of the meeting + keynote updates
    Community “vaciado” mapping + group presentations
    Midday Lunch break
    Afternoon Contributed talks + Student-led flash talks
    Evening Community icebreaker (food / drinks / networking)

    Day 2 — Tuesday, April 28

    Collaboration Building + Seed-Labs
    Morning Recap + inspiration kick-off talks
    Mixed-community dialogues + group report-backs
    Midday Lunch break
    Afternoon Contributed talks
    Seed-Lab collaboration sessions
    Community roadmap (shared priorities + next steps)
    Evening Dinner / informal gathering

    Day 3 — Wednesday, April 29 (Half Day)

    Student Leadership & Commitments
    Morning Student-led discussion + synthesis of Day 2 outputs
    Formation of working groups + commitment setting
    Midday Open discussion (opportunities, next host) + closing remarks
    Afternoon Farewell lunch / picnic (optional)

    Participants List

    TBD.

    Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC)

    • Sebastián Pérez (chair, USACH)
    • Matias Jones (co-chair, ESO)
    • James Jenkins (UDP)
    • Claudia Aguilera (PUC)
    • Marcelo Tala (Ohio State U.)
    • Alice Zurlo (UDP)
    • Dante Minniti (UNAB)
    • Bárbara Rojas Ayala (UTA)
    • Rafael Brahm (UAI)

    Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

    • Nicola Astudillo-Defru (chair, USCS)
    • Markus Rabus (USCS)
    • Matías Jones (ESO)
    • Maximiliano Moyano (UCN)

    To contact the LOC write to: nastudillo@ucsc.cl

    Funding

    We will devote most of the registration fee money to support the participation of students and researchers in need of financial aid to attend. We will do our best to support as many people as we can.

    In person or hybrid?

    The meeting will be an in person event.

    Code of Conduct

    All participants must follow the ESO and Sochias Codes of Conduct. The members of the Local Organizing Committee are designated as the contact points for all matters related to this code.

    Accommodation

    TBD

    The venue

    Universidad Católica de la Santisima Concepción has kindly supported this workshop with a venue.

    Acknowledgements

    We are very grateful to our host, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, for their logistical support and resources.

    Artwork by ChatGPT 5, prompt: Generar imagen de fondo para el sitio web del workshop de la comunidad de astrofísicos que se dedican a estudiar exoplanetas en estilo arte moderno y que refleje la gran cantidad y diversidad de exoplanetas al igual que los observatorios ubicados en Chile que les estudian. Website development based on html5up source code.

    Organizing institutions and Sponsors