WELCOME
The Physics of Sun and Star Spots is now behind us. Many thanks to the Local Organizing Committee, the Scientific Organizing Committee, and all the attendees who helped make it such a success!

Please see the Proceedings page for important information regarding submission of poster and oral presentations for publication in the IAU Proceedings. The drop-dead deadline is 30 September 2010.



IAU Symposium 273:
Physics of Sun and Star Spots is being held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ventura, California, USA from 22-26 August 2010. Ventura is approximately one hour drive time north of Los Angeles and the Symposium venue is the only Ventura hotel located directly on the Pacific Ocean shoreline!

Physics of Sun and Star Spots is the first IAU symposium to bring together these two research fields in order to exchange information and promote greater understanding in each field. With plenty of past and current research as well as new instrumentation coming online, this is an exciting time for the study of both sun and star spots.

With such science topics as the formation and decay of sunspots, solar and stellar magnetism, observational techniques, and a unified approach to understanding sun and star spots, it seems only fitting that supporting IAU commissions include the following: Commission 10 – Solar Activity, Commission 12 – Solar Radiation and Structure, Commission 49 – Interplanetary Plasma and Heliosphere, and Commission 9 – Instrumentation and Techniques. The coordinating IAU Division is Division II – Sun and Heliosphere.

In addition to three and a half days of exciting science and poster sessions, the symposium will be preceded on Sunday evening by a welcome reception, giving everyone an opportunity to mingle and connect with old and new friends and colleagues. Tuesday will be a half-day science session, leaving the afternoon free to participate in a sponsored special activity, explore the local Ventura restaurants, antique shops, art galleries, museums, and historic San Buenaventura Mission, stroll the boardwalk along the shore, or just kick back and soak up some rays on the beach only a few yards from the venue's “back door.” If enough interest exists among the registrants, an all-day tour to Mt. Wilson (where sunspot magnetic fields were first discovered 100 years ago!) will be offered on the Friday following the symposium. Wednesday night will include a banquet.

Some participants might want to attend the Cool Star Conference in Seattle the following week. What better prelude than this symposium! So check out all the information, especially those important deadlines, start thinking about writing up your abstracts and your posters, and plan to attend the Physics of Sun and Star Spots IAU Symposium 273.