14 January 2025 | American Astronomical Society Meeting | National Harbor, MD

The Lunar Frontier

Advancing Interferometry and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics

Brightly lit ferris wheel sitting on the horizon in front of National Harbor, Maryland. The ferris wheel is reflected in the light of the Potomac river.

Introduction

We are pleased to invite you to ‘The Lunar Frontier: Advancing Interferometry and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics’ taking place as a splinter session at the 245th American Astronomical Society Meeting in National Harbor, MD.

The meeting will take place at Maryland Ballroom D from 10 am to 3:30 pm.

As lunar exploration advances through NASA’s Artemis program, this special session will serve as a platform for the broader astronomy and astrophysics community to learn about interferometry and the multi-messenger astrophysics landscape on the Moon.

The deadline to register is January 10, 2024. This an in-person meeting, with no hybrid option. Attendance requires registration for AAS Meeting, with option for single-day registration.

Register

Organizing Committees

  • Dr. Richard Green, University of Arizona (co-chair)
  • Prof. Karan Jani, Vanderbilt University (co-chair)
  • Dr. Martin Elvis, Harvard & Smithsonian
  • Prof. Joseph Silk, Johns Hopkins University 
  • Dr. Gioia Rau, NSF, NASA GSFC
  • Dr. Kenneth G. Carpenter, NASA GSFC

Session Topics

  • Lunar Low Frequency Radio Interferometry
  • Lunar Gravitational-Wave Interferometry
  • Multi-wavelength Astrophysics from the Moon
  • Lunar Science Plans of NASA and Industries
  • Protecting the Moon for Astronomy & Astrophysics
  • Discussion for Broader Astronomy Community Involvement 

Accommodation

Accommodation options can be found on the AAS website. The venue is the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. To ensure the AAS group rate, reservations must be made by January 5, 2025.

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A poster featuring text overlaid over a false-color photograph of the Moon, captured by NASA Galileo.

Confirmed Speakers

  • Jack Burns, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Nivedita Mahesh, Caltech
  • Ron Polidan, Lunar Resources
  • Xuelei Chen, NAO, CAS
  • Karan Jani, Vanderbilt
  • Rita Sambruna, NASA GSFC
  • Volker Quetschke, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • James Trippe, Vanderbilt Institute for Space Defense & Electronics
  • Gioia Rau, NSF
  • Ken Carpenter, NASA GSFC
  • Gerard van Belle, Lowell
  • Noah Petro, NASA GSFC
  • Richard Green, University of Arizona
  • Chris Johnson, Secure World
  • Martin Elvis, CfA - Harvard
  • Jonathan Williams, NSF
  • Valerie Connaughton, NASA APD
  • Michael Robinson, NASA BPS
  • Chris Smith, NSF MPS
  • Rachel Osten, STScI
  • Erik Wilkinson, BAE Systems
  • Jason Kalirai, JHU - APL
  • Joe Silk, JHU

Agenda

10:00 – 10:15 am | Welcome and Introduction

  • Opening remarks from meeting chairs 
  • Goals and expectations for the meeting

10:15 am – 11:00 am | Session 1: Lunar Low Frequency Radio Interferometry

  • Chair: Jack Burns 
  • Panelists: Nivedita Mahesh, Ron Polidan, Xuelei Chen

11:00 am – 11:45 am | Session 2:  Lunar Gravitational-Wave Interferometry

  • Chair: Karan Jani
  • Panelists: Rita Sambruna, Volker Quetschke, James Trippe

11:45 am–12:30 pm | Session 3: Multi-wavelength Astronomy from the Moon 

  • Chair: Gioia Rau
  • Panelists: Ken Carpenter, Gerard van Belle, Noah Petro

12:30 – 1:30 pm | Lunch Break

1:30 – 2:00 pm | Session 4: Protecting the Moon for Astronomy & Astrophysics

  • Chair: Richard Green 
  • Panelists: Chris Johnson, Jonathan Williams, US State Department Rep.

2:00 – 3:00 pm | Session 5: Lunar Science Infrastructure and Plans

  • Chair: Martin Elvis
  • Panelists: Valerie Connaughton, Michael Robinson, Chris Smith, Rachel Osten, Jason Kalirai, Erik Wilkinson, Noah Petro

 3:00 – 3:20 pm | Open Discussion and Q&A

  • Chair: Joe Silk

3:20 – 3:30 pm | Closing Remarks and Action Items

  • Closing from the session and panel chairs

3:30 pm onwards | Informal discussions