[ASA] 2026 ASM+HWSA Round Up

[Richard McDermid]

Dear ASA,

We had a fantastic week last week in Canberra at the ASA’s 60th Annual Science Meeting. The schedule was jam-packed with wonderful talks and posters, prize presentations, Chapter meetings, important community discussions, and enjoyable social activities. There were too many highlights to mention them all, but in addition to all the exciting science contributions, notable for me were the warm welcome from Ngambri (Kamberri) Wallabalooa (Ngunnawal) and Wiradyuri Elder, Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams OAM; the innovative and important work in quantifying the benefits of astronomy facilities for both research and the communities they occupy, by Casey Domingo and Peter Swanton; welcoming our newest ASA Honorary Fellow, Cathryn Trott; and the special awarding of the Anne Green Prize to Anais Möller by Anne Green herself. I could go on, but a richer representation in image form is attached.

Many congratulations to our student poster and talk prize winners, announced in the closing session:

Posters:
1st place: Blaze Houlden
2nd place: Harshit Pal
3rd place: Daniela Montes Doria
People’s Choice: Samuel Colliver

Talks:
1st place: Lydia Haacke
2nd place: Mali Land-Strykowski
3rd place: Owen Downes

And a huge thank you to the ANU Local Organising team, Melanie Kaasinen (Chair), Rajika Kuruwita, Liana Rauf and Cristy Roberts (with help from Stuart Wyithe and Cate Pickering) for their heroic efforts in preparing and executing what was a very enjoyable and well-run conference. Thanks also to the supporting staff and students running mics and working behind the scenes on the run up to, and during, the meeting. Thanks to the Chapter Chairs and Town Hall leads, and thank you to the SOC, co-chaired by Melanie and Liana, for putting together such an exciting program of talks from across our community. Finally, many thanks to the group of ANU students, co-chaired by Maja Labłońska and Lewis Miller, who organised a very successful Harley Wood School for Astronomy at ANU’s Kioloa Coastal Campus.

For those who attended the ASM and/or HWSA, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to also extend your own thanks and congratulations to the organisers for running these wonderful events, which make such an important contribution to our Society and community.

As mentioned in the President’s Report last week, next year’s ASM will be held in Brisbane. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes,
Richard

[ASM_Canberra_2026.jpeg]

----
Professor Richard McDermid
(he/him)

Director, Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO)
Director, Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre
President, Astronomical Society of Australia
Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia

T: +61 (0)2 9372 4811 / +61 (0)2 9850 4476
W: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/_GvbCvl1rKi2PDz4MsQfjfQkOey?domain=bit.ly

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Macquarie University Land, the Wallumattagal people of the Dharug nation, whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, this land since the Dreamtime.

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