irhr_spectroscopy_milky_way_apogee

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

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

Scientific and social programme

Updated 4 August 2026. Times marked as approximate or TBC remain subject to confirmation.

R: 20 min presentation + 5 min discussion I: 12 min presentation + 3 min discussion

Sunday, 9 August 2026

Welcome event

Approx. 20:00

Welcoming cocktail

The welcoming cocktail will take place at El Jardín de los Amantes in Teruel, with live music by Home Sweet Trio, accompanied by food and drinks. Start time to be confirmed.

Monday, 10 August 2026

History, instrumentation, halo, globular clusters and stellar multiplicity

08:00

Registration

08:50

Opening remarks — Brief welcome address by Javier Cenarro, Director of CEFCA

09:00–10:15

History, instrumentation and halo

Chair: Ricardo Schiavon

  • Steve Majewski What APOGEE Really Built: More Than Just a Milky Way Survey — A Little of the Story Behind the Survey
    R
  • John Wilson APOGEE Spectrographs: Testaments to Teamwork
    R
  • Andreea Font Stellar halo and substructure: a cosmological perspective
    R
10:15–11:00

Coffee break

11:00–12:35

The Milky Way halo and assembly history

Chair: Neil Reid

  • Danny Horta Darrington The Milky Way's Assembly History in the Era of Large-Scale Stellar Surveys
    R
  • Guilherme Limberg Stellar Populations in the Milky Way's Halo and the Last Major Merger with APOGEE
    I
  • Ricardo Muñoz The Halo Outskirts With Variable Stars (HOWVAST) Survey: Detecting Milky Way Mass Tracers Beyond 100 kpc
    I
  • Andreia Carrillo The Chemical Story of the Gaia-Enceladus/Sausage System as Told by APOGEE
    I
  • Anke Ardern-Arentsen The Ancient Heart of the Milky Way
    R
12:35–14:00

Lunch break and speed meeting

14:00–15:50

Halo and globular clusters

Chair: Benjamin Gibson

  • Sergey Koposov Stellar Streams in the Milky Way
    R
  • Sara Covella Unveiling ED-2: A Mysterious, Metal-Poor Relic in the Milky Way Halo
    I
  • Sarah Kane A Graveyard of Disrupted Globular Clusters in the Milky Way's Stellar Halo
    I
  • Dominic Wearne Destroyed GCs in Milky Way Satellites Using APOGEE: A Study of GC Destruction Efficiency
    I
  • Doug Geisler APOGEE's Impact on Globular Cluster Science
    R
  • Szabolcs Mészáros Globular Clusters in the Near-Infrared: A Comprehensive Overview of APOGEE Results
    I
15:50–16:30

Coffee break

16:30–18:00

Globular clusters, stellar multiplicity and Galactic dynamics

Chair: Guilherme Limberg

  • Paula Jofré Disentangling Stellar Populations with Phylogenetics
    I
  • Ricardo Schiavon The History of Star Formation and Chemical Evolution of ω Cen
    I
  • Michael O'Connor The APOGEE View on the History of Star Formation and Chemical Enrichment of the M54 Nuclear Star Cluster
    I
  • Carlos Badenes Stellar Multiplicity with APOGEE
    I
  • Paul Beck Stellar–Binary Co-Evolution and Stellar Cannibalism in the Red-Giant Phase
    I
  • Teresa Antoja Phase-Space Signatures of the Milky Way's Dynamical Evolution
    I
19:00

Guided tour of Teruel

Guided visit through the historic centre of Teruel.

Tuesday, 11 August 2026

Milky Way satellites, the Local Group and the interstellar medium

08:00

Departure from Teruel to Galáctica

Conference talks will take place at Galáctica, followed by a visit to the museum.

09:00–10:25

Milky Way satellites and the Local Group

Chair: Andreea Font

  • Matthew Shetrone APOeGEE — Apache Point Extra-Galactic Evolution Experiment
    R
  • Christian Hayes APOGEE's View of the Milky Way's Dwarf Galaxies
    I
  • Anna Liptrott Chemical Compositions of Red Giants in the Disk of the Andromeda Galaxy with JWST/NIRSpec
    I
  • Borja Anguiano J-ATLAS: Javalambre Andromeda and Triangulum Legacy Astrophysical Survey
    I
  • Benjamin Gibson Harnessing the Power of High-Resolution Integrated Light Spectroscopy from APOGEE
    I
10:25–10:55

Coffee break

10:55–12:35

The Local Group, globular clusters and the interstellar medium

Chair: Matthew Shetrone

  • Marcin Semczuk Non-Equilibrium Milky Way Disc Dynamics in Cosmological Simulations
    I
  • Yanbo Pan Sgr dSph Unveiled: Metallicity Distributions and 3D Kinematics in the Main Body of a Disrupting Satellite Galaxy
    I
  • David Nidever A Decade of APOGEE in the Magellanic Clouds
    I
  • Davide Massari The Milky Way Assembly History as Told by Its Globular Clusters
    I
  • Nicolás Barrera Díaz Revealing the True Nature of M22 and NGC 6273: Two Candidate Iron-Complex Clusters
    I
  • Andrew Saydjari Unveiling the Kinematics and Chemistry of Dust with APOGEE
    R
12:35–14:00

Lunch break

Approx. 15:00

Visit to the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre

Departure for the observatory, followed by the visit and return to Teruel.

Wednesday, 12 August 2026

Surveys, the Milky Way bulge, stellar evolution and ages

09:00–10:25

Large-scale stellar surveys

Chair: Andrew Saydjari

  • Anthony Brown Gaia's Galactic Census: A Preview of Data Release 4
    R
  • Cristina Chiappini APOGEE and 4MOST: Legacy Surveys in the Gaia Era
    I
  • Keith Hawkins The After Sloan-V Project
    I
  • Vanessa Hill The WEAVE Galactic Archaeology surveys
    I
  • Elena Valenti Charting the Milky Way with MOONS
    I
10:25–10:55

Coffee break

10:55–12:35

Large-scale stellar surveys

Chair: Anke Ardern-Arentsen

  • Iain Neill Reid APOGEE in a Time of Surveys
    R
  • Rachael Beaton Ready, Set, Roman: Galactic and Local Group Science with Roman Surveys
    I
  • Pau Ramos JASMINE: High-Precision Astrometry for the Dynamics of the Galactic Centre and High-Cadence Photometry for the Search for Habitable Exoplanets
    I
  • Sven Buder GALAH and APOGEE: Complementary Perspectives on Galactic Archaeology
    I
  • Joleen Carlberg The Milky Way Mapper Chronicles
    I
  • Alejandra Recio-Blanco Uncovering Galactic ecology: from the Gaia-ESO Survey to Gaia
    I
12:35–14:00

Lunch break

14:00–15:45

Milky Way bulge, stellar evolution and ages

Chair: Marc Pinsonneault

  • Emanuele Spitoni Chemical Evolution of the Galactic Bulge in the APOGEE Era
    R
  • Anna Queiroz Unveiling the Galactic Bulge: Observational Advances and Lessons from APOGEE
    R
  • Annie Robin Exploration of the Milky Way History from Forward Modelling
    I
  • Jamie Tayar Stellar Interiors and Ages: The APOGEE–Kepler Legacy
    R
  • Carli Mankowski Cluster-Anchored Ages for Galactic Archaeology
    I
16:30

Departure to Cedrillas for the total solar eclipse

Eclipse viewing will take place at the castle. Totality is expected at approximately 20:30. The return time is to be confirmed; local activities are also planned in the town square.

Thursday, 13 August 2026

Stellar evolution, ages, the Milky Way disk and open clusters

09:00–10:25

Stellar evolution, ages and the Milky Way disk

Chair: Paul Beck

  • Marc Pinsonneault Asteroseismology, APOGEE, and Galactic Archaeology
    I
  • Hélio Rocha-Pinto Bayesian Latent Variable Analysis Applied to Stellar Ages
    I
  • Robert Grand Predictions for the Formation of the Milky Way Thick and Thin Discs from Cosmological Simulations
    R
  • James Johnson The Retrograde GSE Scenario for the Milky Way Chemical Abundance Bimodality
    I
10:10–10:25

Session discussion

10:25–10:55

Coffee break

10:55–12:20

The Milky Way disk

Chair: Pau Ramos

  • Matthias Steinmetz Decomposing the Milky Way
    R
  • Ivan Minchev An Apogee in Galactic Archaeology with APOGEE: Birth Radii and the Evolution of the Milky Way Disk
    I
  • Arianna Di Cintio Constraining Gas Metal-Mixing Strength in Simulations Using Observations of the Milky Way's Disc
    I
  • Julie Imig A Galactic Self-Portrait: Chemical Cartography and Density Structure of the Milky Way Disk
    I
  • Melissa Ness From Elements to Engines — The Hierarchical Architecture of the Galactic Disk
    I
12:20–14:00

Lunch break

14:00–15:40

Open clusters

Chair: Katia Cunha

  • Natalie Myers Open Clusters in the APOGEE Era: Stellar Laboratories, Galactic Probes, and a Survey That Changed the Game
    R
  • Peter Frinchaboy Open Clusters as Science and Calibrators: From Large-Scale Surveys to Detailed Stellar Evolution Effects
    I
  • Eduardo Machado Pereira Describing Members of Open Clusters in the Light of Multiband Survey Colours
    I
  • Adrián Hidalgo Stellar Parameters for 15 Million Stars from J-PLUS DR4: A Purely Algebraic Method Using Multi-Filter Photometry Alone
    I
  • Sarah Loebman From APOGEE to Galactic Histories: Interpreting Unusual Open-Cluster Orbits with Simulations
    I
  • Ellen Leitinger Not All Nitrogen-Rich Field Stars Originate from Globular Clusters: Combining Kepler and K2 Asteroseismology with APOGEE Abundances
    I
15:40–16:10

Coffee break

16:10–17:35

Stars and the interstellar medium

Chair: Melissa Ness

  • Chris Brook A Plausible Filamentary Infall for Gaia-Enceladus and Sequoia
    I
  • Katia Cunha & Verne Smith APOGEE Results for Cool Dwarfs: Atomic Diffusion, Exoplanet Hosts, and Magnetic Fields
    R
  • Fábio Wanderley Tracing Magnetic Field Evolution in M Dwarfs Using APOGEE Spectra
    I
  • S. Drew Chojnowski APOGEE's Cabinet of Curiosities
    I
  • David Law Radiative Fluorescence in the Winds of Late-Type O Stars
    I
19:00

Public lecture: The Two Quantum Revolutions — From Concepts to Applications

Prof. Alain Aspect, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics
Centro Social San Julián, Teruel. This public lecture is free of charge, but advance registration is required. Register for the public lecture.

Approx. 21:00

Conference dinner

The conference dinner will take place at Palacio La Marquesa. The final time will be confirmed separately.

Friday, 14 August 2026

Abundance and age methods, summary and closing

10:00–11:10

Abundance and age methods

Chair: Joleen Carlberg

  • Carlos Allende Prieto Automatic Analysis of Stellar Spectra
    R
  • Yeisson Osorio NLTE Analysis of APOGEE Spectra
    I
  • Friedrich Anders Revisiting the Dimensionality of Chemical-Abundance Space
    I
  • David Mirabal Chronology of Our Galaxy from Gaia Colour–Magnitude Diagram Fitting (ChronoGal): An Observational Dual Path for the Milky Way Disk Vertical Evolution
    I
11:10–11:40

Coffee break

11:40 onwards

Summary and closing

Chairs: Gail Zasowski and Rachael Beaton

  • Gail Zasowski & Rachael Beaton Summary Discussion
    R
  • Everyone One-Minute Tributes to Steve

Programme subject to change. Final logistical details will be announced when confirmed.

Participants

77 conference participants, listed alphabetically by surname.

Participant Affiliation
Carlos Allende PrietoInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Spain
Friedrich AndersUniversitat de Barcelona (UB), Spain
Borja AnguianoCentro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Spain
Teresa Antoja CastelltortInstitut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (ICCUB), Spain
Anke Ardern-ArentsenInstitute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Carlos BadenesUniversity of Pittsburgh, USA
Nicolás Sebastián Barrera DíazUniversidad de La Serena, Chile
Rachael BeatonSpace Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA
Paul BeckUniversidad de La Laguna (ULL), Spain
Chris BrookUniversidad de La Laguna (ULL) and Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Spain
Anthony BrownLeiden University, Netherlands
Sven BuderAustralian National University, Australia
Joleen CarlbergSpace Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA
Andreia CarrilloCarleton College, USA
Javier CenarroCentro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Spain
Cristina ChiappiniLeibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Germany
S. Drew ChojnowskiMonterey Institute for Research in Astronomy (MIRA), USA
Sara CovellaUniversity of Bologna, Italy
Jeffrey CraneCarnegie Observatories, Carnegie Science, USA
Katia CunhaSteward Observatory, University of Arizona, USA
Arianna Di CintioUniversidad de La Laguna (ULL), Spain
Andreea FontAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
Peter FrinchaboyTexas Christian University, USA
Doug GeislerUniversidad de La Serena, Chile
Benjamin GibsonSpace Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA
Robert GrandAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
Keith HawkinsThe University of Texas at Austin, USA
Christian HayesSpace Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA
Adrián HidalgoCentro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Spain
Vanessa HillUniversité Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, France
Daniel (Danny) Horta DarringtonUniversity of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Julie ImigSpace Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA
Paula JofréUniversidad Diego Portales, Chile
James JohnsonCarnegie Observatories, Carnegie Science, USA
Sarah KaneInstitute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Sergey KoposovUniversity of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
David LawSpace Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA
Ellen LeitingerUniversity of Bologna, Italy
Guilherme LimbergUniversity of Chicago, USA
Anna LiptrottAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
Sarah LoebmanUniversity of California, Merced, USA
Eduardo Machado PereiraCentro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA) / Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
Steven MajewskiUniversity of Virginia, USA
Carli MankowskiUniversity of Florida, USA
David Martínez-DelgadoCentro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Spain
Yeisson Fabián Martínez OsorioIsaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING), Spain
Davide MassariINAF – Astrophysics and Space Science Observatory of Bologna (OAS), Italy
Szabolcs MészárosEötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Hungary
Ivan MinchevLeibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Germany
David MirabalInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) / Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Spain
Ricardo MuñozUniversidad de Chile, Chile
Natalie R. MyersJohns Hopkins University, USA
Melissa NessAustralian National University, Australia
David NideverMontana State University, USA
Michael O’ConnorAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
Christopher PalmaThe Pennsylvania State University, USA
Yanbo PanUniversity of Virginia, USA
Marc PinsonneaultThe Ohio State University, USA
Anna Barbara de Andrade QueirozInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Spain
Pau RamosNational Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Japan
Alejandra Recio-BlancoUniversité Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, France
Iain Neill ReidSpace Telescope Science Institute (STScI), USA
Annie RobinObservatoire de Besançon, France
Hélio J. Rocha-PintoObservatório do Valongo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
Andrew SaydjariPrinceton University, USA
Ricardo P. SchiavonAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
Marcin SemczukInstitut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (ICCUB), Spain
Matthew ShetroneUniversity of California Observatories, USA
Verne V. SmithNSF NOIRLab, USA
Emanuele SpitoniINAF – Astronomical Observatory of Trieste, Italy
Matthias SteinmetzLeibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), Germany
Jamie TayarUniversity of Florida, USA
Elena ValentiEuropean Southern Observatory (ESO)
Fábio Carneiro WanderleyObservatório do Valongo (OV), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
Dominic WearneAstrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
John WilsonUniversity of Virginia, USA
Gail ZasowskiUniversity of Utah, USA

Collaborators

Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón
University of Virginia
Liverpool John Moores University
Aragón turismo sostenible
Astroturismo Eclipse 2026 Aragón