The VIII Planetary Science & Solar System Exploration Congress (CPESS-8) will take place in Malaga from 26 to 30 May 2025, organized by the LaserLab & Space Robotics Lab  teams of the University of Malaga, in collaboration with the Iberian Planetary Science Community and the Iberian Node of the Europlanet Society.

During the congress we will discuss the current situation of Planetary Sciences in the Iberian Peninsula, with a special focus on opportunities for scientific, technological and industrial collaboration at an international level, especially in Ibero-America, with special invitation to representatives from Portugal and Latin America.

Programme

The programme includes sessions on scientific policy with representatives from the Spanish Space Agency and State Research Agency, a strong presence of the Space Industry, and sessions dedicated to scientific and technological contributions from planetary research groups from the main public institutions.

• 26 May: Institutional Session: Science Policy, Programmes and Funding for Space Research and Tech. Dev.
• 27 May: Technology Sessions: Space Missions and Instrumentation for Planetary Sciences and Exploration
• 28-30 May: Science Sessions: Giant and Terrestrial Planets, Asteroids, Comets, Planetary Geology and atmospheres, Exo-planets, Astrobiology, ... 

The programme will also include round tables on science-industry synergy, debates on Ibero-American collaboration, events in support of the new generation of early-career researchers, collaboration with amateur astronomers and various public outreach events, which will enhance the accessibility and visibility of the event and achieve a greater impact on society.

Key Dates

The Europlanet Spain & Portugal Hub is the Iberian node of the Europlanet Society. Its main objective is to support the Spanish and Portuguese planetary science community, promoting the collaboration between all scientific and technology development institutions and research groups, reinforcing the participation of Iberian scientists and engineers in national and international space research programmes.

The Europlanet Society is an international association with the purpose of promoting planetary sciences, solar system exploration and any other related field for the benefit of the planetary science and technology development community, by encouraging the creation of new knowledge, promoting education, stimulating innovation, and enhancing accessibility and transparency. The Society is the parent body of the Europlanet Scientific Congress (EPSC), the largest annual meeting on planetary science in Europe. 

The Europlanet Spain & Portugal Hub Coordination Committee is composed by:

• Chair: A. Cardesín Moinelo (ESAC)
• Vice-Chairs: R. Hueso (UPV) / P. Machado (IA-Lisbon)
• Secretary: S. Fernández Menéndez (UniOvi)
• EPS Board Representative: J. De Leon (IAC)
• EPS Research Infr. Rep.: F. Gómez-Gómez (CAB)

• Representative Spain: P. Benavidez (UA)
• Early Career SP: D. Morate (CEFCA)
• Policy Officer SP: I. Pérez Grande & E. Díaz Catalá (AEE)
• Industry Officer SP: A. Catalán (PAE)
• Outreach & Comm. SP: J. Á. Vaquerizo (ISDEFE) 

• Representative Portugal: P. Machado (IA-Lisbon)
• Early Career PT: D. Espadinha (IA-Lisbon)
• Policy & Industry Officer PT: Marta Gonçalves (PT Space)
• Outreach & Comm. PT: Joao Retre (IA-Lisbon)

• Amateur Community : J. Álvaro (FAAE/AstroCuenca)
• Diversity Officer: L. Parro (UA) / M. Ruiz-Perez (CAB)
• Space Ethics: J. Hdez-Bernal (UPV/LMD)
• Instrumentation & Tech. Dev.: A. Moral-Inza (INTA)

• IberoAmerica: P. Benavides, A. Cardesin, R. Duffard, D. Morate 

2024 EUROPLANET IBERIAN AMATEUR ASTRONOMY AWARD

in Solar System Astronomy and Exoplanets

The Europlanet Society, through its Spain & Portugal Regional Hub,will award an individual amateur astronomer or a team of amateurs observing from Spain & Portugal or from Spanish or Portuguese nationalities for their contribution to amateur astronomy in solar system astronomy and exoplanets in the last 3 years (2022-2024).

The prize will use the bases below:

• The prize could be awarded for an individual discovery, a set of relevant observations or with special repercussion in the field of solar system astronomy or exoplanets. The prize could also be awarded for the development of novel instrumentation techniques in the amateur world or for the development of free software wildly used in the amateur community towards analysis of solar system astronomical observations or exoplanet transit analysis. The contribution to be awarded will have to be done in the period from January 2021 to December 2024.

• Participants must be from Spanish or Portuguese nationalities or amateur observers whose contribution has been developed from Spain or Portugal. Participants do not need to be members of the Europlanet Society.

• Areas that are traditionally close to solar system astronomy and exoplanets such as observations of the Sun or stellar variability cannot be considered for the prize.

Applications will be submitted in electronic format (PDF) using the following Application form and must be limited to 2+1 pages. The application will include a presentation of the individual or observing team, a summary of its trajectory in amateur astronomy and a description of the contribution to be evaluated (2 pages). Technical information describing instrumentation or other technical details of the contribution can be included in a 3^rd page. Relevant figures can be included in the application.

Language: Applications can be written in Spanish, Portuguese or English.

● Applications must be submitted by 31 March 2025 

● The Evaluation Board will be formed by members of the Europlanet Society Spain & Portugal Regional Hub coordination committee, excluding members with possible conflicts of interest. For this prize, the committee will also invite relevant amateur astronomers and professional astronomers working with amateurs and not presenting themselves for this prize.

● The decision taken by the Evaluation Board will be final.

● Exceptionally, the Evaluation Board may decide to award more than one winner for each prize or declare the competition void or cancelled.

● Applications must fulfil all requirements to be considered for evaluation. Any non-veracity in the application would imply disqualification.

● Participation in the award implies implicit authorization for publication of the name of the participant and the summary of the contribution presented.

● The awarded contribution will have the opportunity to present its contribution to the Spanish Community of Ciencias Planetarias y Exploración del Sistema Solar (CPESS) in its regular Ciencias Planetarias y Exploración del Sistema Solar meeting in Málaga (26-30 May 2025) either online or presentially.

The Prize will consist of a diploma, a symbolic gift and an invitation to present the work to the planetary science community congress CPESS-8, with an official announcement of the Europlanet Society recognizing the value of amateur astronomy for professional astronomers and researchers in space exploration.

Application form