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EAS News
Word from the President
Sara Lucatello
Twenty-twenty five has been a busy and rewarding year for the Society. Our membership has continued to grow, approaching 5,500 individuals, making the EAS one of the largest astronomical societies worldwide.
EAS2025 Cork was a great success, bringing our community together for a week of scientific exchange and lively discussion. This year also saw the launch of the EAS Fellow Program, which celebrates individuals who have made exceptional contributions to European astronomy and adds an important new dimension to how we acknowledge excellence in our community.
We established the EAS Policy Advisory Group (EPAG), which now supports and informs our advocacy work, strengthening our engagement with European institutions and the wider policy landscape.
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The protection of the dark and quiet sky remained a central thread running through our activities in 2025. We worked closely with policymakers,
regulators and partner organisations to underline the importance of preserving the astronomical environment and to press for meaningful measures at both the European and international levels. This work will continue into the coming year, beginning with our participation in the upcoming session of the UN COPUOS Science and Technology Subcommittee, where discussions on dark and quiet sky issues will remain high on the agenda.
In closing, I wish to extend my warmest wishes to all our members for a peaceful holiday season and a bright start to 2026.
EAS News
EAS Annual Meeting 2026, Lausanne, Switzerland
The EAS Annual Meeting 2026 will take place in the SwissTech Convention Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland between June 29th and July 3rd, 2026. The Scientific Organising Committee is co-chaired by Prof. Jean-Paul Kneib and Prof. Michaela Hirschmann, both from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. The SOC received 114 proposals for Symposia, Special Sessions and Lunch Sessions. The SOC has evaluated them and informed the applicants. The programme will be public at the time of the opening of registration which is expected in late January 2026.
The EAS considers its annual meetings to be a privileged occasion for free and frank interchange of scientific ideas, as well as for the nurturing and creation of professional and social contacts.
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Several social events are dedicated to young career researchers who are especially encouraged to participate in the Annual Meeting. All EAS Prizes and Fellows are awarded in plenary sessions. Let us celebrate Astronomy in Europe, for more details, please visit
Annual Meeting webpage.
EAS News
European Union Space Act
The EAS responded to the proposed EU Space Act, which explicitly includes the protection of dark and quiet skies.
We welcome the EU Space Act, which is a step forward in ensuring that
proposed EU Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS2) constellation will incorporate these principles in its design. Our feedback sought greater protections for radio astronomy, for example in specific limits on radio pollution, both from transmissions from satellites, and from unintended electromagnetic radiation emitted by on board electronic systems.
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The draft EU Space Act is publicly available and can be seen
here,
and each member can take a look at EAS response here.
National affiliated societies in France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom endorsed the EAS response.
EAS participates in United Nation SKAO Workshop for DQS
Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society 2025
From 9 to 11 December, a major UN/SKAO-led event
covering dark and quiet skies (DQS) took place in Vienna. The workshop brought together astronomers and space scientists, satellite operators, NGOs, space agencies and diplomats. It sought to provide an update on the status DQS and mitigations, showcase potential solutions from astronomers and satellite operators, and discuss the role of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS).
EAS President Sara Lucatello and Council member Robert Massey were in attendance, with Sara taking part in a panel discussion on the interactions between astronomers and industry.
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The meeting also saw a significant strengthening of the IAU Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky, as
ESO formally joined as a contributing member, bringing a second large optical astronomy organisation in as a key partner.
Sara and Robert will next represent the EAS as an observer at the UN COPUOS Science and Technology Subcommittee in February 2026, where ongoing efforts to create DQS guidelines and regulation will be discussed.
HERA workshop series
Wilhelm and Else Heraeus foundation
The third "WE Heraeus - EAS Early Career Researchers in Astronomy" workshop (HERA25) , took place in the week of September 22nd till 26th, 2025, hosted in the premises of the Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS) in Pisa, Italy. The topic was "The Physics of Galaxies at the Epoch of Reionization". As previous HERA workshops, also this one gathered a highly motivated group of, this time, 38 young European researchers from 24 international institutions, fostering interaction and promoting interest in shaping the future of European Astronomy. Each day of the workshop started with a lecture given by a senior scientist, followed by talks of the participating researchers. The workshop also featured social activities to further promote informal exchange and scientific networking. The participants found the meeting very successful, providing a productive atmosphere for exchange of ideas and for offering an ideal platform for future collaborations.
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Given the success of all three workshops the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus foundation has committed to continuing HERA workshops up to 2028. The next HERA workshop, HERA26, will take place in Warsaw, at Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences, from September 21st till 25th, 2026 and will be titled "Black Holes at different flavours". HERA27 will be hosted by the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge, UK.
New members of the EAS EDI And Sustainability Advisory Committees
We are pleased to announce the appointment of new members to both the EAS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Sustainability Advisory Committees (AC). We extend a warm welcome and look forward to the perspectives and expertise they will bring. We appreciate their willingness to serve and anticipate productive collaborations ahead.
The updated memberships and contact details of the committees can be found at:
EAS
Advisory Committee on Sustainability and EAS
Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity web pages.
To the committee members who stepped down, we offer our gratitude and warmest wishes for the future.
French Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics
The French Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics (SF2A), founded in 1978, is a non-profit organisation representing around 500 professional astronomers in France. Its mission is to support the development of astronomy in the country and to unite specialists across the field.
SF2A organises the annual SF2A Days, a key event for scientific exchange and networking, especially for early-career researchers. Presentations given at the conference are published online and indexed on
ADS, often marking the first conference contributions of PhD students. The society also supports young researchers through travel grants and by awarding the widely recognised Young Researcher and Thesis Prizes. In addition, SF2A provides financial support for conferences and schools and maintains a public directory of professional astronomers in France.
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A weekly electronic newsletter is sent to everyone listed in this directory, making it the community's main information channel. SF2A also runs the astro-jc mailing list for early-career researchers and relies on a national network of correspondents within astronomy institutes.
In higher education, SF2A offers comprehensive online information about astronomy Master's programmes and funded PhD positions, and hosts a dedicated platform centralising internship offers for Master's students.
SF2A is active in public outreach through an annual call for outreach projects, a public lecture during the SF2A Days, and the "Discover the Universe" prize for school classes. It also monitors societal issues such as gender equality, satellite constellations, climate change, and research funding. The society contributes to science communication on social media and helps correct astronomy related misinformation in the French media.
SF2A maintains close ties with amateur astronomers, notably through collaborations with the main national amateur organisations
(AFA and
SAF), the SAF-SF2A GEMINI pro-amateur prize, a yearly pro-amateur workshop during the SF2A Days, and involvement in the Ciel & Espace book prize.
Spanish Astronomical Society
The Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA) is the main association representing Spanish astronomers and astrophysicists, bringing together more than 1,000 members, including professional researchers, amateur astronomers, and institutional partners. Its primary goal is to promote the development of astronomy in Spain and to provide an independent forum for discussing issues of common interest within the astronomical community. The SEA is governed by a Board of Directors and several thematic working groups, and it organizes a biennial scientific conference. Its services include information mailing lists, media support, a news bulletin, and the coordination of the biennial meeting. The Society is structured into commissions on science, Pro-Am collaboration, terminology, women in astronomy, education, and communication. It also publishes a semiannual electronic newsletter accessible to the public.
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