IAA-CSIC Severo Ochoa Advanced
"Where skies meet:
multidisciplinary views of planet and exoplanet atmospheres"
Granada (Spain). 19th-23rd October 2026
Image Credits: ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser
THE SCHOOL
The IAA-CSIC Severo Ochoa Advanced School "Where skies meet: multidisciplinary views of planet and exoplanet atmospheres" is designed for researchers interested in the study of planetary atmospheres both in the Solar System and in exoplanets, aiming to bridge the two communities. The school will provide an up-to-date perspective on the latest developments in the study of Solar System atmospheres and in the emerging field of exoplanetary atmospheres, reflecting the rapid evolution of planetary science. While researchers at all career stages are welcome, preference will be given to early-stage researchers (PhD researchers and early postdocs).
The topics covered by the school include planetary formation, planetary interior and its link with the atmosphere, atmospheric modeling, observational techniques, radiative transfer and retrieval schemes, as well as an special session about potential Venus analogue exoplanets. In addition to topical lectures going beyond textbook knowledge, the school will also schedule hands-on sessions focused on the practical use of state-of-the-art tools in the field given by their developers, promoting interaction between lecturers and participants. Given the strongly interactive nature of the school, only in-person attendance will be possible.
WORKSHOP
Many Earth-sized planets discovered so far orbit very close to their host stars, where extreme irradiation may drive Venus-like atmospheric conditions. With the increasing characterization capabilities of facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), PLATO and future campaigns with ANDES/ELT, the identification and interpretation of potential Venus-like planets has become a central challenge in exoplanet science. Understanding Venus analogues is crucial not only for comparative planetology but also for defining the boundaries of planetary habitability and avoiding false-positive biosignatures.
This Workshop will bring together observers, modellers, and planetary scientists to discuss the nature, evolution, and detection of potential Venus-like exoplanets in the era of JWST and upcoming missions, focusing on their atmospheres. The format will include invited reviews and contributed talks.
Confirmed invited speaker: Stephen Kane.
IMPORTANT! The workshop has no fee. It will be held in Granada (Spain) on the 22nd October 2026, during the SO Advanced School (19-23rd October 2026) “Where skies meet: multidisciplinary view of planet and exoplanet atmospheres" (registration fee will apply). Our aim is to optimize the travel of people potentially interested in both (and hopefully reduce our CO2 footprint).
The abstract submission is included in the Advanced School registration form (max. 500 words, title and authors not included). Deadline for abstract submission is 31st May 2026.
Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames
LECTURERS AND TUTORS
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Lorena Acuña (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany)
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Joanna Barstow (Open University, UK)
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Elsa Ducrot (IRFU-CEA, France)
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Francois Forget (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique - IPSL, France)
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Manuel López Puertas (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía - CSIC, Spain)
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Yamila Miguel (Leiden University, The Netherlands)
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Olga Muñoz (IAA-CSIC, Granada, Spain)
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Ignas Snellen (Leiden University, The Netherlands)
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Michael Way (Theoretical Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden)
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More coming soon
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
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Francisco José García Izquierdo (IAA-CSIC)
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Francisco Gonzalez Galindo (IAA-CSIC) - CHAIR
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Gabriella Gilli (IAA-CSIC)
- Thea Kozakis (IAA-CSIC)
- Alberto Mendi Martos (IAA-CSIC)
- Gwenaël Milcareck (IAA-CSIC)
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Francisco José Pozuelos Romero (IAA-CSIC)
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Alejandro Sánchez López (IAA-CSIC)
MAIN SCIENCE TOPICS
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Planetary formation
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Planetary interior and conexion with atmosphere
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Atmospheric modeling
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Observational techniques
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Radiative transfer and retrieval schemes
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Workshop: Venus analogue exoplanets
Structure of the School
From Monday 19th to Friday 23th October 2026
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Lectures: 9:00 - 13:30 and 15:00 - 18:30
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Wednesday and Friday afternoon free
PROGRAM
Coming soon
REGISTRATION
How to register?
This School will be an in-person School. The registration deadline is May 31st, 2026. You will be informed whether you have been accepted no later than June 12th, 2026. Payment of the fee should then be made within one week.
To formalize the participation you must fill in the mandatory fields in the pre-registration form. Once you have been accepted you will receive an electronic invoice to confirm your registration. Payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.
If you are interested in attending only the Workshop please contact directly gilli[at]iaa.csic.es
Registration fee
The School fee will be 400 euros. The registration fee includes two daily coffee breaks, three lunches, and the conference dinner on Thursday evening.
The night visit to Alhambra Nasrid Palaces is not included in the registration fee (extra cost 40€). If you want to join the tour please provide your passport number or ID card (mandatory to book Alhambra tickets) in the pre-registration form. There is a limited number of tickets available that will be assigned in strict order of registration and payment.
Important dates
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Pre-registration opens: March 23rd, 2026
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Pre-registration deadline: May 31th, 2026
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Notification to accepted participants: before June 12th, 2026
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School: October 19th-23th, 2026
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Workshop: October 22nd, 2026
Cancellation and modification policy
In case of cancellations or changes in the name of the attendees the following deadlines are applicable:
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90% of the fee will be returned, if participation is cancelled up to one month before the event
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50% of the fee will be returned, if participation is cancelled up to 15 days before the event
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0% otherwise
Code of conduct
The IAA-CSIC has a code of behaviour that all registered participants should read and need to abide by
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM
VENUE
The Meeting will take place at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía headquarters (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain. The IAA-CSIC is located 15 minutes walk from the city centre, and can be reached by bus lines S2, S0, 11 and 9.
How to get to Granada?
Airports
Federico García Lorca Airport (GRANADA)
Federico García Lorca Airport is currently connected by six daily flights to Madrid and three daily flights to Barcelona. It is located 15km from the city centre, with buses to and from each flight. The cost of a taxi to or from the airport is ~30€.
Check here all airlines connections with Granada.
Pablo Picasso Airport (MALAGA)
The Pablo Picasso International Airport is located approximately 130km from Granada, connected to every European city with regular daily flights and, thanks to the motorway which links both cities, can be reached in just over one hour by car or bus.
Flights information and routes.
See the AENA website – Telephone: 958 245 200
Train
Modern trains connect Granada to all of Andalusia and to the main Spanish cities. The High Speed rail network has been operational since 2015, thus significantly lowering travel times.
Avenida de Andaluces, s/n 18014 Granada – Telephone: 902 320 320
Information, timetables and destinations on their website: www.renfe.es
Bus
Granada is very well connected thanks to its network of motorways and daily bus services to destinations all over the country.
Bus station
Address: Carretera de Jaén, s/n. 18014. Granada.
Telephone numbers: 958 18 54 80 / 958 25 13 58
ORGANIZATION
The organisers acknowledge financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the "Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa" award for the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (grant CEX2021-001131-S 10.13039/501100011033)
This school is also sponsored by the Project CNS2024-154576 funded by MCIU/AEI, PN2024 -Research Consolidation-State Subprogram for Training, Attraction and Retention of Research and Innovation Talent - State Program of Human Resources-PEICTI 2024-2027.
Technical Secretariat · Baobab Eventos whereskiesmeet@granadacongresos.com