Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón

irhr_spectroscopy_milky_way_apogee

APOGEE’s Galactic Odyssey: Reflecting on the APOGEE Survey and Steve Majewski's Contributions

August 10 - 14, 2026 / Teruel, Spain

The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) started operations in New Mexico on May 6, 2011, and was complemented with a twin instrument at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, in March 2017. Since then, the two instruments have pierced the Milky Way using infrared light from cool stars to create a chemical 3D map of the Galaxy that is bringing a new understanding of how galaxies assemble and evolve. APOGEE has transformed the field of Galactic Archaeology, by analyzing the light from hundreds of stars in a single pointing, providing millions of high-resolution stellar spectra in just 15 years—a several orders of magnitude improvement over previous databases, and processing these data with physical models of the atmospheres of stars to derive accurate stellar velocities and precision chemical abundances for 20 chemical elements.

This meeting celebrates the 15th anniversary of APOGEE’s first light and the enormous, uniform, high-quality dataset it has produced. It also provides a timely opportunity to recognize Steve Majewski’s 65th birthday and his leadership of APOGEE during the third and fourth phases of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We will review the survey’s most impactful results, reflect on the still largely untapped potential of the existing database, discuss the hardware, software, and modeling developments needed to further improve precision and accuracy, and explore prospects for new observations from SDSS-V and beyond.

We aim to provide a harassment-free conference for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technological choices. Harassment of participants, in any form, will not be tolerated during the conference. Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks or online media. If a conference participant engages in harassing or any of the aforementioned behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender, or expulsion of the offender from the conference with no refund.

About Teruel

Teruel is located in central Spain, in the south of the Aragón region. The province is home to notable examples of Mudéjar architecture. The city of Teruel is a prime example of this architecture and was awarded the World Heritage Designation by the UNESCO. Other interesting destinations in the province are Albarracín, with its Arab fortress; Mora de Rubielos, which has one of the best conserved castles in Aragón; and Alcalá de la Selva, which is very popular for hikers due to its attractive landscapes. Truffle and local pork products (particularly the cured ham from Teruel) are highly recommended.

Tourist information about Teruel can be found on the Siente Teruel website.

Scientific Organizing Committee

Dr. Borja Anguiano (CEFCA, Teruel)
Dr. Carlos Allende Prieto (IAC, Tenerife)
Dr. Katia Cunha (Steward Observatory, Arizona)
Dr. Ricardo Schiavon (John Moores, Liverpool)
Dr. Melissa Ness (ANU, Canberra)
Dr. Friedrich Anders (UB, Barcelona)
Dr. Gail Zasowski (University of Utah, Salt Lake City)
Dr. Rachael Beaton (STScI, Baltimore)
Dr. Carme Gallart (IAC, Tenerife)

Local Organizing Committee

Dr. Luisa Valdivielso (CEFCA)
Dr. Tamara Civera (CEFCA)
Ana Lopez (CEFCA)
Dr. Borja Anguiano (CEFCA)
Dr. Javier Cenarro (CEFCA)
Dr. Carlos Lopez San Juan (CEFCA)
Dr. Stylianos Pyrzas (CEFCA)
Dr. Javier Lizaga (CEFCA)

Participants

Venue

The meeting will take place at the 'Gobierno de Aragon' Local Government office building, otherwise known as "Edificio Carmelitas", located in Calle San Francisco 1, 44001. Access to this building is available from both Calle San Francisco or next to the Park by the Train Station. The building is in a very central location, with plenty of hotels and restaurants nearby. Hotels Botanicos, Reina Cristina and Mudayyan are particularly close, but all others are well within walking distance as well.

The workshop talks will be held at the Events Hall of the building (i.e. "Salon de Actos") on the 4th floor (at street level by Calle San Francisco), and the coffee breaks, welcome cocktail and registration will be held at the Wall room (Sala La Muralla), with access by the park next to the train station, on the ground floor. The photo of the building on this page was taken from the park.

Hotel Information

Here is a list of a few hotels within walking distance to the workshop venue.

1. GRAN HOTEL BOTÁNICOS****

There is a special price for CEFCA: You must state that you are booking a room for attending the CEFCA eclipse meeting in August 2026.
The room price for 1 or 2 people is 180 euros, accommodation only. The buffet breakfast is 13 euros per person. An extra bed costs 40 euros. A parking space costs 12 euros. These prices may increase by 5%, as the reservation is being made so far in advance. The cancellation deadline is 2 months before the check-in date, free of charge.
(0034) 978 623 957 | www.granhotelbotanicos.com | info@granhotelbotanicos.com
These rates only apply when booking directly with the hotel (by phone or e-mail). In order to make the reservation, full name, contact mobile phone, e-mail address, credit card number and credit card expiration date will be required.

3. HOTEL MUDAYYAN***

There is a special price for CEFCA: You must state that you are booking a room for attending the CEFCA eclipse meeting in August 2026.
The book must be mail by emailing the hotel directly.
Double room: 200 €/night (with breakfast)
Triple room: 230 € /night (with breakfast)
Family room: 260 € /night (with breakfast)
Included: IVA/TAX
(0034) 978 623 042 | www.elmudayyan.com | info@elmudayyan.com
These rates only apply when booking directly with the hotel (by phone or e-mail). In order to make the reservation, full name, contact mobile phone, e-mail address, credit card number and credit card expiration date will be required.

4. HOTEL PALACIO LA MARQUESA****

There is a special price for CEFCA: You must state that you are booking a room for attending the CEFCA eclipse meeting in August 2026.
Double room: 250 € /night (with breakfast)
Double room (individual use): 233 € /night (with breakfast)
Included: IVA/TAX
+34 978 210 065 | www.hotelpalaciolamarquesa.com/en/
These rates only apply when booking directly with the hotel (by phone or e-mail). In order to make the reservation, full name, contact mobile phone, e-mail address, credit card number and credit card expiration date will be required.

4. HOTEL TORICO PLAZA***

There is a special price for CEFCA: You must state that you are booking a room for attending the CEFCA eclipse meeting in August 2026 .
€200 / Double room / Accommodation only / Per night
€180 / Double room for single use / Room only / Per night
€220 / Triple room (on request/subject to availability) / Room only / Per night
€7.70 Buffet breakfast per person
Included: IVA/TAX
Minimum stay: 5 nights required. For shorter stays, please check the price with the hotel.
(0034) 978 608 655 | www.hoteltoricoplaza.com | reservas@bacohoteles.com
These rates only apply when booking directly with the hotel (by phone or e-mail). In order to make the reservation, full name, contact mobile phone, e-mail address, credit card number and credit card expiration date will be required. Parking spaces available: €15 / parking space / per night (We recommend booking in advance, as spaces are limited)

Of course, many other possibilities exist for your accomodation in Teruel. Please check the Siente Teruel website, and do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further assistance.

Transportation & Travel Information

Nearby international airports and options to get to Teruel:

Teruel is located in the middle point between big cities such as Madrid (300 km), Barcelona (410 km), Valencia (140 km) and Zaragoza (180 km). It does not have an airport but can be easily reached from all the international hubs of these bigger cities. The available options for landing in Spain are, in order of increasing distance from Teruel:

Valencia: http://www.aeropuerto-valencia.com/
Zaragoza: https://www.aena.es/en/zaragoza.html
Madrid-Barajas: http://www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas.com/
Barcelona-El Prat: http://www.aeropuertobarcelona-elprat.com/

Once you are in one of these cities, you can easily reach Teruel either by bus, train or car. The options are listed below, in order of travel time. The parenthesis mark the approximate “effective travel time” (i.e. not counting stops or transfers between lines):

Plane flight to Valencia → then: car rental + car trip (1.5hr) / bus (2hr) / train (2.5hr)
Plane flight to Zaragoza → then: car rental + car trip (1.75hr) / bus (2hr) / train (2.5hr)
Plane flight to Madrid → then: bus (3-5hr) / train to Zaragoza + bus (4hr) / car rental + car trip (4.5hr) / train to Zaragoza + train to Teruel (4.5hr)
Plane flight to Barcelona → then: train to Zaragoza + bus (3-4hr) / car rental + car trip (4-5hr) / train to Zaragoza + train (4-54hr) / bus to Zaragoza + bus (5-6hr)

Below you can find details on all the possible paths and means of transportation which you can choose from either Valencia, Zaragoza, Madrid or Barcelona.

How to get from the airports to bus/train stations:

Valencia:

The Valencia bus station is located next to the “Turia” underground station (on line 1). In order to get to Turia station, take either underground line 3 (red line) or line 5 (green line) from the airport station (head of both lines) and transfer to line 1 (yellow line, directions “Bétera - Llíria - Paterna - Empalme”) at the Àngel Guimerà underground station.

Trains to/from Valencia leave the city from “Estació del Nord” station. In order to reach it from Valencia airport take line 3 (red line) and get off at “Xátiva” station. No transfers are needed.

Zaragoza:

Buses and trains to/from Zaragoza are both operated from the “Delicias” station. In order to reach the train/bus terminal from the airport you just need to take the 501 bus at Zaragoza airport, which is a direct line operating on the Airport - Estación Delicias route. No transfers are needed.

Madrid:

Buses leave Madrid only from “Madrid-Estacion Sur” bus station. To reach it from Madrid-Barajas airport it is necessary to take the metro line 8 (pink line direction ‘’Nuevos Ministerios’’), and change to line 6 (grey line direction ‘’Mendez Álvaro”) at ‘’Nuevos Ministerios’’ station.

Trains leave Madrid from “Atocha” train station. Take line 8 (pink line) from Madrid-Barajas airport (direction “Nuevos Ministerios”) and transfer to line 6 (grey line) in order to get to “Cuatro Caminos” station (1 stop away from “Nuevos Ministerios”). Transfer to line 1 (cyan line) direction “Valdecarros” and get off in “Atocha - RENFE” underground station.

Barcelona:

Buses and trains to/from Barcelona are both operated from “Barcelona - Estacion Nord” station. In order to reach it, take the “Aerobus” service from any terminal at Barcelona airport and transfer to the underground line 1 (direction “Fondo”) in the “plaza Espanya” station of Aerobus. The closest stop to “Barcelona - Estacion Nord” on line 1 is the “Arc de Trionf” underground station.

By Bus

Teruel bus station (website) | Ronda de Ambeles, s/n 44001 Teruel (España) | Tel. 978 610 789 | 24h Information: 671 304 178

From Valencia:

The company which connects Valencia to Teruel by bus is called IRB (International regular bus, website). Tickets for this trip can be booked at the company’s website. The trip takes approximately 2 hours.

From Zaragoza:

The bus company which connects Zaragoza to Teruel is called AUTOBUSES JIMENEZ (website). The trip can take either 2 hours or 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on the particular hour selected in the bus schedule.

From Madrid:

The company which connects Teruel and Madrid by bus is called IRB (International regular bus, website). The trip can last from a minimum of 3 hours and 30 minutes, up to 5 hours and 30 minutes, depending on the particular hour selected.

From Barcelona:

The fastest option to reach Teruel from Barcelona by bus is to follow the itinerary Barcelona-Zaragoza-Teruel which includes a transfer in Zaragoza. Tickets for the Barcelona-Zaragoza section of the trip can be bought at the ALSA company website. The trip to Zaragoza takes more or less 3-4 hours. For information about the Zaragoza-Teruel section of the trip see the “From Zaragoza” point (above).

By train

All possible information about routes, schedules and reservations regarding trains from either Valencia, Zaragoza, Madrid or Barcelona can be found at the website of the spanish train company: Renfe.

General information to the customer: 902 320 320

Shopping Online Information: 902 109 420

The only two cities directly connected with Teruel by train are Zaragoza and Valencia. In both cases, the trip lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, as there is no high-speed route connecting Teruel to neither Zaragoza nor Valencia. In case you are planning to reach Teruel by train from Madrid you will have to transfer at Zaragoza whereas if you are planning to start from Barcelona you will need to change either at Valencia or Zaragoza. Tickets for both Valencia-Teruel and Zaragoza-Teruel itineraries are usually available 1-2 months before the travel date, whereas tickets for Barcelona-Zaragoza, Barcelona-Valencia and Madrid-Zaragoza routes are available with larger advance. We suggest you to check carefully the availability of the trip you intend to choose. All RENFE customer-care services and useful telephone numbers can be found here (SPANISH ONLY):

Customer Service: www.renfe.com/es/en

By Car

Teruel can be easily reached by car from either Zaragoza or Valencia, as the A-23 highway connecting Valencia to Zaragoza passes very close by Teruel. If you come from Madrid there are 2 possibilities: 1) all-highway paths or 2) itineraries including national roads. If you come from Barcelona you can pass by either Zaragoza or Valencia. More detailed information about the different itineraries can be found below, in order of increasing travel-time:

Valencia - Teruel (only-highways path, 1 hour 30 minutes)

From either Valencia airport or train station follow directions to the A-7 (or AP-7) higwhay (DIRECTION SAGUNT-CASTELLON-BARCELONA). Once on the A7/AP-7, follow the directions to Teruel (or A-23 highway, Autovia Mudéjar). To exit the A-23 highway, take the first exit available for Teruel (i.e “Teruel sur”). You will arrive in the city center after few kilometers of national road.

Zaragoza - Teruel (only-highways path, 1 hour 45 minutes)

From either the Zaragoza airport or train station follow the directions to the Z-40 highway (i.e the Zaragoza bypass which goes all around the city). From the Z-40 it’s very easy to converge to the A-23 highway (Autovia Mudéjar) which will take you directly to Teruel. Once you reach Teruel, take the exit for the city center (“Teruel - centro ciudad”, i.e. the second exit available). Car rental services are available both at Zaragoza train station and airport (see links below).

Madrid - Teruel (highways + national-roads path, 3 hours 30 minutes)

From either Madrid airport or train station follow directions to A-2 highway (direction Zaragoza). Once in “Alcolea del Pinar” follow the directions to N-211 national road - “Molina de Aragon - Teruel”. You will reach “Monreal del campo” and connect to the A-23 (direction Teruel) after 110 km. Once you reach Teruel, take the exit for the city center (“Teruel - centro ciudad”, i.e. the second exit available).

Madrid - Zaragoza - Teruel (only-highways path, 4 hours)

From either Madrid airport or train station follow directions to A-2 highway (direction Zaragoza). Once in Zaragoza follow the directions to Teruel (A-23 highway). You might have to take the Z-40 connecting highway before being able to get on the A-23. Once you reach Teruel, take the exit for the city center (“Teruel - centro ciudad”, i.e. the second exit available).

Barcelona - Castellon - Teruel (only-highways path, 4 hours 20 minutes)

From either Barcelona train station or airport converge to the AP-7 highway, direction: Tarragona - Castellon - Valencia. Once you reach the city of Sagunt, follow the directions to Teruel, A-23 highway (Autovia Mudéjar). To exit the A-23 highway, take the first exit available for Teruel (i.e “Teruel sur”). You will arrive in the city center after few kilometers of national road.

Barcelona - Zaragoza - Teruel (only-highways path, 4 hours 40 minutes)

From either Barcelona train station or airport converge to the A-2 highway (direction Lleida - Igualada - Fraga). Once you get to Fraga, follow the directions to AP-7 highway (direction Zaragoza). Once in Zaragoza follow the directions for Teruel, A-23 highway (you might have to take the Z-40 bypass which goes all around Zaragoza). Follow the A-23 until you reach Teruel and take the exit for the city center (“Teruel - centro ciudad”, i.e. the second exit available).

Car rental services are available in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza. Here are links to the websites of some diffuse car-rental companies:

AVIS (www.avis.es). Reservations Phone Number: 902 180 854
EUROPCAR (www.europcar.es). Reservations Phone Number: 902 105 055
HERTZ (www.hertz.es). General information and bookings telephone number: 902 402 405
SIXT (www.sixt.es). General information and bookings telephone number: 902 491 616

Visa

If you come from a country in the following list, you will need a visa in order to enter in Spain or any other European country:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong (when it is not SAR), India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The starting point is the website of Spanish ministry of exterior:

English version: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/Paginas/inicio.aspx

Spanish version: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/Paginas/inicio.aspx

If the english versions does not appear, please select the language by clicking the “Welcome” button on the top of the page (in the spanish version).

Please, remember that since you will need a short term visa, you have to select the “Uniform Schengen Visa” link. Note: The Schengen visa is a document that can be obtained in any country that takes part of Schengen space (Austria, Bélgica, República Checa, Dinamarca, Estonia, Finlandia, Francia, Alemania, Grecia, Hungría, Islandia, Italia, Letonia, Lituania, Luxemburgo, Malta, Países Bajos, Noruega, Polonia, Portugal, Eslovaquia, Eslovenia, España, Suecia, Suiza, Liechtenstein).

Collaborators