Opening remarks (5 min)
I. History
- Steven Majewski R
- John Wilson R
- Fred Hearty C

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.
The deadline for registration ans abstract submission will be on: May 15th, 2026
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.
Borja Anguiano: banguiano@cefca.es
Tentative scientific programme
The programme is organised by day and may still be subject to minor changes.
Opening remarks (5 min)
Coffee break
Lunch break and speed meeting
Coffee break
Coffee break
Lunch break
Coffee break
Coffee break
Lunch break
Eclipse event
The afternoon is reserved for the APOGEE eclipse activity.
Coffee break
Lunch break
Coffee break
Conference dinner
The final time and venue will be announced separately.
Coffee break
One-minute tributes to Steve by conference participants.
Lunch break
Free time
Programme subject to change. Updated presentation titles and logistical details will be published when confirmed.
75 conference participants, listed alphabetically by surname.
| Participant | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Carlos Allende Prieto | Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Spain |
| Friedrich Anders | Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Spain |
| Borja Anguiano | Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Spain |
| Teresa Antoja Castelltort | Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (ICCUB), Spain |
| Anke Ardern-Arentsen | Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom |
| Carlos Badenes | University of Pittsburgh, USA |
| Nicolás Sebastián Barrera Díaz | Universidad de La Serena, Chile |
| Rachael Beaton | Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA |
| Paul Beck | Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Spain |
| Chris Brook | Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) and Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Spain |
| Anthony Brown | Leiden University, Netherlands |
| Sven Buder | Australian National University, Australia |
| Joleen Carlberg | Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA |
| Andreia Carrillo | Carleton College, USA |
| Javier Cenarro | Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Spain |
| Cristina Chiappini | Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Germany |
| S. Drew Chojnowski | Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy (MIRA), USA |
| Sara Covella | University of Bologna, Italy |
| Jeffrey Crane | Carnegie Observatories, Carnegie Science, USA |
| Katia Cunha | Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, USA |
| Arianna Di Cintio | Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Spain |
| Andreea Font | Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom |
| Peter Frinchaboy | Texas Christian University, USA |
| Doug Geisler | Universidad de La Serena, Chile |
| Benjamin Gibson | Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA |
| Robert Grand | Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom |
| Keith Hawkins | The University of Texas at Austin, USA |
| Christian Hayes | Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA |
| Fred Hearty | The Pennsylvania State University, USA |
| Adrián Hidalgo | Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Spain |
| Vanessa Hill | Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, France |
| Daniel (Danny) Horta Darrington | University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
| Julie Imig | Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA |
| Paula Jofré | Universidad Diego Portales, Chile |
| James Johnson | Carnegie Observatories, Carnegie Science, USA |
| Sarah Kane | Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom |
| Sergey Koposov | University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
| David Law | Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA |
| Ellen Leitinger | University of Bologna, Italy |
| Guilherme Limberg | University of Chicago, USA |
| Anna Liptrott | Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom |
| Eduardo Machado Pereira | Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA) / Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) |
| Steven Majewski | University of Virginia, USA |
| Carli Mankowski | University of Florida, USA |
| Yeisson Fabián Martínez Osorio | Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING), Spain |
| Davide Massari | INAF – Astrophysics and Space Science Observatory of Bologna (OAS), Italy |
| Szabolcs Mészáros | Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Hungary |
| Ivan Minchev | Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Germany |
| David Mirabal | Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) / Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Spain |
| Ricardo Muñoz | Universidad de Chile, Chile |
| Natalie R. Myers | Johns Hopkins University, USA |
| Melissa Ness | Australian National University, Australia |
| David Nidever | Montana State University, USA |
| Michael O’Connor | Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom |
| Christopher Palma | The Pennsylvania State University, USA |
| Yanbo Pan | University of Virginia, USA |
| Marc Pinsonneault | The Ohio State University, USA |
| Anna Barbara de Andrade Queiroz | Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Spain |
| Alejandra Recio-Blanco | Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, France |
| Iain Neill Reid | Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA |
| Annie Robin | Observatoire de Besançon, France |
| Hélio J. Rocha-Pinto | Observatório do Valongo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil |
| Andrew Saydjari | Princeton University, USA |
| Ricardo P. Schiavon | Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom |
| Marcin Semczuk | Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (ICCUB), Spain |
| Matthew Shetrone | University of California Observatories, USA |
| Michael Siegel | The Pennsylvania State University, USA |
| Verne V. Smith | NSF NOIRLab, USA |
| Emanuele Spitoni | INAF – Astronomical Observatory of Trieste, Italy |
| Matthias Steinmetz | Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Germany |
| Jamie Tayar | University of Florida, USA |
| Elena Valenti | European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
| Dominic Wearne | Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom |
| John Wilson | University of Virginia, USA |
| Gail Zasowski | University of Utah, USA |
Deadline for registration: CLOSED May 15th, 2026 - 23:59 CEST
Deadline for abstract submission: CLOSED May 15th, 2026 - 23:59 CEST
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.
Here is a list of a few hotels within walking distance to the workshop venue.
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.
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:
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):
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:
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).
If you have any issue, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Collaborators