2023 SARA Eastern Conference
2023 SARA Eastern Conference
Green Bank Observatory
Green Bank, West Virginia, 2023
20-22 August 2023
The 2023 SARA Eastern Conference will be held at the Green Bank Observatory, West Virginia, Sunday through Tuesday, 20-22 August 2023.
SARA has traditionally held our Eastern Conferences at GBO, and we are very pleased to return following a two-year hiatus due to COVID.
With radio astronomy as its foundation, the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) is a world leader in advancing research, innovation, and education.
The first trailblazers of American radio astronomy called Green Bank Observatory home over 60 years ago. Today, their legacy is alive and well. Nestled in the mountain ranges and farmland of West Virginia, within the National Quiet Zone, radio astronomers are listening to the remote whispers of the universe, in order to discover answers to our most astounding astronomical questions.
Call for Papers
Papers are invited on all subjects related to amateur, scholastic, or professional radio astronomy including hardware, software, education, tutorial, outreach, research strategies, observation, data collection, philosophy, theoretical or practical challenges, and related subjects.
If you wish to present a paper or provide an exhibit, please email a proposal including a title and abstract to the conference coordinator at vicepresident@radio-astronomy.org no later than 31 May 2023.
Please include your full name, affiliation, CV if appropriate, postal address, and email address, and indicate your preference to present to the conference in person or virtually. You will receive an email response within about a week.
Complete papers are due on July 15, 2023. Presentation Slides / PowerPoints are due on August 10, 2023.
Basic Schedule: Conference meetings will be held in the main auditorium of the Jansky Laboratory at Green Bank Observatory with presentations by SARA members, GBO staff and distinguished speakers. Security and COVID restrictions permitting, tours of the facility, radio telescopes and laboratories will be conducted. Certain locations are open only to U.S. citizens who submit for a security review two weeks prior; however, other areas will be open to all attendees. Virtual participation in the conference will be available for those who cannot attend in person.
Key advantages of in-person attendance are training and hands-on use of the historical 40-foot radio telescope as well as user tutorial on the 20 meter radio telescope.
On Sunday and Monday evenings, round table discussions and refreshments are scheduled in the Drake Lounge, and there will be space outside for attendees to set up and display their own portable radio astronomy systems and optical telescopes.
Meals in the GBO cafeteria are included in the registration fee.
Lodging is not included in the conference registration fee. No-frills rooms and RV/camping sites are available at the nearby Boyer Station Motel and Campground. The Elk Springs Resort is about 12 miles away. Numerous VRBO / Airbnb properties and private rentals are nearby. A list of many properties is at https://pocahontascountywv.com/lodging/ . Many chain accommodations are located about 30 miles away in Elkins, but that drive takes at least an hour due to mountainous roads. (A few on-site dormitory rooms may become available for conference presenters and SARA officers, but additional rooms for other conference attendees are not expected.)
Registration: Registration for in-person attendance by SARA members at the Conference is $275.00 (USD) if received by July 20, 2023, which includes meals but not lodging. The fee for family members or other guests who do not participate in conference sessions is $75.00, which includes meals plus evening activities. Registration by July 20th for non-members is $295.00, which includes a year’s membership in SARA. SARA members wishing to renew their membership at the same time as they register may also pay $295 and should include a renewal comment with their payment.
Late registration after July 20, 2023 is $325.00. Walk-in registration at the conference is $350.00.
Payment can be made through PayPal, www.paypal.com by sending payment to treasurer@radio‐astronomy.org Please include in comments that the payment is for the 2023 Eastern Conference.
Registration is also available on the SARA Store:
COVID Restrictions. GBO reserves the right to impose requirements for vaccinations and masks. SARA will notify all registrants should GBO issue a policy statement. Should GBO policies adversely impact a conference registrant, they may change their registration from in-person to virtual / online and receive a refund for the difference. Should GBO close the campus for any reason, all registrations will be changed to virtual / online.
Cancellations. Full refund minus PayPal transaction fees will be issued for cancellations received by July 31, 2023. After July 31, cancellations will be handled on a case-by-case basis. SARA will strive to issue partial refunds based on the non-refundable obligations we have made.
No Cellular Phone Service. GBO is in the National Radio Quiet Zone and there is no wireless phone service in the area. Use of wi-fi devices and satellite phones such as Iridium or Globalstar near the facility is not allowed, and severe restrictions are placed on digital cameras, although film cameras without electronic flash are allowed. There is a computer lab available during the day.
Pre-Conference Activities. Suggested pre-conference activities include free self-guided tours of the Green Bank Observatory Science Center and reasonably priced guided tours of the radio telescope area. Full details with a link for ticket purchase: https://greenbankobservatory.org/visit/
An overall guide to other activities and attractions in the area: https://pocahontascountywv.com/things-to-do/
Contact: Please contact the conference coordinator, B.J. Wilson, if you have any questions or if you would like to help with the conference: vicepresident@radio-astronomy.org
Additional Information: Additional details and updates will be published online at www.radio‐astronomy.org and in the SARA journal, Radio Astronomy, as we get closer to the conference date.