Society for Popular Astronomy

[Alastair McBeath]

Information and online registration for this year's International Meteor Conference (IMC) is now available on the International Meteor Organization's (IMO's) website, at:

http://www.imo.net/imc2009 .

The Conference will be held in Porec, on Croatia's Istrian Peninsula by the Adriatic Sea, from September 24-27, and the booking fee (which includes full board at the conference hotel, access to all sessions and the excursion, plus a copy of the IMC Proceedings) is 150 Euros till June 30, after which it rises to 160 Euros. The IMC's official language is English. Although the IMC is the IMO's main annual meeting, and includes its General Assembly, you do not need to be an IMO member to register for, or attend, the IMC.

As usual, the IMC will bring together amateur and professional meteor enthusiasts from around the world. IMCs are always great fun for anyone with a real interest in meteors. There is a daily programme of lectures and poster presentations, dealing with all branches of meteor astronomy, plus the excursion, but despite this planned activity, there is always ample time to talk to the many people present with similar interests, and even to get involved in the "astro-entertainment", a party evening of songs and sketches. If you still need persuading, the IMO website also has a whole series of photos and personal recollections from past IMCs, and the International Meteor Weekends and Meteor Seminars which preceded them, back to 1979. From my own attendance at several previous IMCs, there is no other meteor meeting or conference to compare with it, and I cannot recommend trying one highly enough!

Alastair McBeath,
Meteor Director, Society for Popular Astronomy.
E-mail: <meteor@popastro.com> (messages under 150 kB in size only, please)