Sun, Space Weather and Solar-Stellar Connections — An international conference commemorating 125 years of KSO

Conference Dates: January  20 – 24, 2025

First Announcement

To commemorate 125 years of Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KSO), the Indian Institute of Astrophysics is pleased to organize an international conference on “Sun, Space Weather and Solar-Stellar Connections”.  We aim to get together with the international community of researchers to discuss progress in our understanding of solar magnetism and its variability over diverse spatial, temporal and energy scales, especially related to observations that have been carried out at this historic observatory, and of the underlying fundamental physical processes that connect it to other stars. We will also survey progress in our understanding of processes manifesting as space weather that control the near-Earth environment and those  behind radio emissions from the solar chromosphere to 1 AU, and their wider relevance for star – planet interactions. 

Tracing its origins to the late 19th century, with John Evershed’s groundbreaking spectroscopic exploration of sunspots leading to his 1909 discovery of penumbral mass flows bearing his name, KSO stands nestled in a rich legacy of solar astronomical exploration. Digitization of century old archives of daily full-disk white light and Ca II-K photographic plates recorded at KSO was carried out in the last decade providing us with invaluable data to explore the long-term variability of the Sun. Such legacy data cross-calibrated and continued with observations using modern instruments hold promise of further discoveries on the behavior of magnetic fields inside the Sun.

We invite you to mark your calendars for this milestone conference that will serve as an effective platform for scientific discourse merging historical records with modern cutting edge observations, from ground as well as space, and theoretical/computational studies to uncover the secrets of our Sun. 

Registration, abstract submission, and other relevant information on the organisation of the conference and associated events will soon be available at the conference website  https://events.iiap.res.in/e/kso125.

The website dedicated to "125 Years of KSO" celebrations is at https://events.iiap.res.in/e/kso-125-2024

Conference Venue:  Christ University, Bangalore.

Accompanying Events:

Excursion to KSO: Jan 25 – 27, 2025

Kodaikanal Winter School on Solar Physics for Graduate Students : Jan 28 – Feb 5, 2025

For any queries on the conference please send an email to: kso125@iiap.res.in

S.P. Rajaguru, On behalf of the Organising Committee, IIA.