Extreme Solar Systems V Conference

When: 16-21 March 2024
Venue: Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
Where: Christchurch, New Zealand
Delegates: 458 (421 internationals)

The Christchurch conference was the fifth in a series of Extreme Solar Systems symposiums that began in 2007. Past events have been staged in Santorini, Wyoming, Hawaii, and Iceland.

The event was secured with the support of ChristchurchNZ and Tourism New Zealand. It included a group tour to the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.

Christchurch was a destination with a real point of difference for delegates. It proved to be a lifetime experience for them to meet with local academics, and offered incredible opportunities for pre and post touring and field trips.

Local convenor, Dr Michele Bannister from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury said the university has a long-standing association with the study of planetary systems, both the Solar System and exoplanets.

“It was exciting to bring the Extreme Solar Systems conference to New Zealand and to welcome hundreds of top astronomers to connect, and to help expand our planetary and exoplanetary research,” Dr. Bannister said.

“We were delighted these scientists wanted to come to our corner of the planet. We welcomed Nobel prize winners, as well as many in the early stage of their careers – it was invaluable to have this generation here too.

Scientific Organising Committee Co-Chair, Fred Rasio from Northwestern University said the event was held at an auspicious time for the study of exoplanets.

“It’s been more than three decades since the first planets were discovered orbiting other stars. In that brief time span, we’ve confirmed the existence of more than 5,600 exoplanets in more than 4,000 different star systems and determined that there are probably more planets than stars in the universe.

“With NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and ESA’s CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) missions both well underway and the recent beginning of JWST’s operations, this is truly a golden age for exoplanet science,” he said.

ExSS V attendees presented on all aspects of observational and theoretical studies of exoplanets, including exoplanet detection and characterisation using current and planned ground- and space-based techniques; the formation of planets in extreme environments such as around binary stars and in dense star clusters; the fate of planets around evolved stars such as giants, white dwarfs, and pulsars; and the many factors affecting planetary habitability.

The AAS is participating in the ChristchurchNZ Conference Legacy Project by surveying conference delegates following the event to demonstrate the full life cycle of the conference, and its long-term outcomes.

ExSS V hosted a special evening session "Astronomy and Aerospace in Aotearoa,” highlighting the significant local expertise in these fields, with talks by an all-women panel of local experts. They included:

Victoria Campbell, Kāi Tahu Tātai aroraki
Māori Astronomy and the Matariki Public Holiday

Dr Michele Bannister, University of Canterbury
From Antarctica to Space: Highlights of Astronomical Research Across Aotearoa

Jenny Blackburne, Dawn Aerospace
Sustainable, Scalable Space Transportation

For the public fascinated by astronomy and what lies outside of our solar system, the conference organised four public-facing scientific presentations at Tūranga Central Library. They were well-attended by the local community and reported in local media. Prof. Lisa Kaltenegger, an award-winning astrophysicist and astrobiologist, Founding Director of the Carl Sagan Institute, and Professor of Astronomy at Cornell led one of the popular talks on “Searching for Alien Earths: Newest Insights and Adventures.”

A major highlight of ExSS V was New Zealand itself, a land of extremes. In cooperation with the AAS and the local organising committee (LOC), led by the University of Canterbury, tours and events for attendees showcased the Canterbury region’s natural phenomena and the life of its people, past and present.

Delegates were offered a free afternoon on Tuesday, 19 March, to explore Christchurch and the Canterbury region on their own or through tours arranged by Canterbury Leisure Tours. They included river jetboating, farm tours, wine tours, and Christchurch city tours.

Evening tours of the Teece Townsend Observatory – and the university’s historic 1864 Townsend Teece Telescope – gave delegates a unique experience in the city and of astronomy past and present. Hosted by University of Canterbury students, the tours were fully subscribed within minutes of their release.

The region’s astro-tourism prowess was showcased in a custom overnight excursion to Lake Tekapo, focusing on Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only eight in the world. The Dark Sky Project managed an evening tour of Mount John Observatory. Tour guests also visited some of New Zealand’s most scenic landscapes at Lake Pukaki, Tasman Glacier, and Tekapo Springs.

The Extreme Solar Systems V conference, with guidance from local organisers Michele Bannister and Karen Pollard from the University of Canterbury invited local Māori hapū, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, to participate in the two main social events of the conference.

A mihi whakatau (welcome ceremony) was enthusiastically received at the opening reception at Te Pae Convention Centre on 16 March. A kapa haka roopu, Pounamu Ngāi Tahu, was performed at the Conference Dinner on 18 March, including a kapa haka and a demonstration of traditional Māori games.