All events are in the Statler Hotel at Cornell University unless otherwise noted. All events listed below are open to all unless otherwise noted.

For lunchtime workshops, a carry-out lunch will be available from both the Terrace Cafe in the Statler or from the Lunch Box line in Barton Hall.

• Friday, October 10, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Taylor Room - Proposal Writing Workshop - This NASA workshop is open to all interested planetary scientists from senior graduate students to senior scientists. There will be no charge for the workshop. The workshop will focus on understanding NASA's research programs and will include information on how to write a research proposal, where to apply for funding, and what kind of feedback one can expect. Other opportunities for funding, such as participating scientist programs and education/public outreach add-on awards, will also be discussed. To register, send an e-mail with your name, affiliation, and current position to curt.niebur@nasa.gov.

• Friday, October 10, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Amphitheatre - Observing Planets (wherever they may be) with the James Webb Space Telescope - In this workshop, we will discuss the science of planetary observations with the James Webb Space Telescope, the premier space observatory of the next decade. We will focus on both planets within our Solar System and planets beyond, as well as objects relevant to planetary system formation (small solar system bodies, exoplanetary disks). The workshop goals are to: engage the broader planetary community in the exciting science that JWST will enable, educate the community about JWST's capabilities, and elicit from the community new ideas for planetary observations with JWST. For more information, contact Jonathan Lunine.

• Friday, October 10, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Rowe Room - Small Bodies Assessment Group Review of inaugural SBAG meeting and request for community input. For more information, contact Faith Vilas

• Friday, October 10, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Duffield Hall Atrium - DPS08 Opening Reception with music, drinks, munchies, and welcoming remarks from the Local Organizing Committee, Cornell President David Skorton, and Dan Roth from the Cornell Sustainability Center. Welcoming remarks scheduled for around 7:00 p.m.

• Saturday, October 11 - Wednesday October 15, Taylor B Room - Breakfast with the DPS Chair This is an opportunity for students to meet the DPS Chair and learn the ropes. Contact Rick Binzel to register.

• Saturday, October 11 11:00 am to 1:00 pm - Ask an Astronomer Event at the Johnson Museum of Art related to the Spectacular Saturn exhibit. This is an opportunity for the public to talk to astronomers in the exhibit hall about the Saturn system images. There will also be Saturn-related art activites for children.

• Saturday, October 11 Noon-1:30, Yale/Princeton Rooms - Meet the IAU A lunch meeting aimed at promoting membership and participation in the activities of the IAU. For more information, contact Regis Courtin. A carry-out lunch will be available from both the Terrace Cafein the Statler and the Lunch Box line in Barton. Please pick up your lunch before the workshop.

• Saturday, October 11 5:00-6:30 pm, Pennsylvania Room - Small Radioisotope Power Systems NASA is considering developing new radioisotope power systems that could enable or enhance smaller, complex, challenging, and scientifically exciting missions to planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and other solar system destinations. The Radioisotope Power System (RPS) program seeks to engage interested scientific investigators and mission managers to capture the expectations and requirements of the community. Since 1961 forty-five RPS units have been used on twenty-six U.S. Space missions. Radioisotope power systems enable exploration of destinations throughout and beyond the edge of our solar system where insolation is too infrequent or too dim to support photovoltaic power. New radioisotope power systems are envisioned which are smaller, lighter, and produce less power than the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) and Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG). This presentation will summarize current capabilities and define the potential for future developments. We will also outline the context for possible future missions. Through this forum, the community will be invited to actively participate in defining the requirements for potential future radioisotope power systems. Contacts: Leonard A. Dudzinski, NASA Headquarters, 202-358-2553, Thomas J. Sutliff, NASA Glenn Research Center, 216-433-3887.

• Saturday, October 11, 8:00 to 10:00 pm - DPS Public Concert at Bailey Hall. The Cornell Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Chris Younghoon Kim, and the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jeffery Meyer, will perform together in a free "astronomy themed" public concert featuring two works: The Planets by Gustav Holst, and the world premiere of Anillos (Rings) by Cornell composer Roberto Sierra and featuring percussionist Tim Feeney. The concert will be accompanied by video presentations of the planets put together by a team of Cornell Astronomy Department students, staff, and faculty.

• Sunday, October 12 Noon-1:30, Yale/Princeton Rooms - NSF Town Hall Issues of importance to the National Science Foundation, and you. For more information, contact Vernon Pankonin A carry-out lunch will be available from both the Terrace Cafein the Statler and the Lunch Box line in Barton. Please pick up your lunch before the workshop.

• Sunday, October 12 Noon-1:30, Pennsylvania - Venus Science and Technology Definition For more information, contact Mark Bullock

• Sunday, October 12 5:00-6:30 pm, Pennsylvania - Frost-Transport Models: Pluto & Triton Existing models for seasonal frost transport on Pluto and Triton make several simplifying assumptions. For example, the atmosphere is treated as a superconductor of sorts, transmitting mass from sublimating regions to areas of deposition with negligible pressure gradients. The real atmospheres will involve circulation patterns that may influence frost transport, rather than simply responding to it. Energy balance (both radiative and latent heat) is assumed to apply at the surface, even though it is likely to involve a layer of significant depth. We will discuss what physical processes could be included in frost transport models to improve their fidelity. Also of interest are observables (spectra, maps, occultation measurements, etc.) and/or lab data that could be used to provide new constraints on the models. Please contact John Stansberry if you are interested.

• Sunday, October 12 5:00-6:30 pm, Auditorium - The Next Decadal Study for Planetary Science The Space Studies Board of the National Research Council has been requested to carry out a Decadal Study for planetary science for 2010-2020 decade. This session will provide an update on current planning for this activity which is scheduled to begin in January 2009 and outline some of its major goals. A particular focus will be to seek ideas and suggestions on how to maximize effective inputs from the science community. Please contact Joe Veverka for more information.

• Sunday, October 12 7:30-9:30 pm, Bailey Hall - DPS Public Lecture Night The 40th DPS Sagan Medal prize talk is free and open to the Public.
  Presenter G. Jeff Taylor, from the University of Hawaii and winner of the prize, will speak about "Lunar Settlements, Lunar Science". Emmy-award winning television host and science educator Bill Nye will emcee the event.
  According to Jeff: The talk will discuss the reasons why scientists and explorers want to return to Earth's neighbor and the value of humans settling it. Humans living and working on the Moon will pave the way for a broader human presence on other planetary bodies, while providing scientific insight into the Moon and its unexplored mysteries. In many ways, the Moon is the eighth continent. Its settlement will enable us to use all the space near the Earth and Moon, for both science and commerce. The Moon contains vital evidence about planet formation, melting, and early impact bombardment of the inner solar system, and a permanent presence on the Moon will allow us to decipher that complex record. Please contact Jim Bell for more information.

• Monday, October 13 Noon-1:30, Yale/Princeton Rooms - DPS Women The topic of this year's session is "Gender-Based Differences in Communication," featuring guest speaker Mary Munter from Dartmouth. Dr. Munter is the author of several highly-regarded and widely-used books about communication skills and she teaches several courses at Dartmouth in the area of effective communication. Lunch will be provided to participants. All are welcome, but pre-registration is required for this event due to space limitations. Please contact Dr. Amy Simon-Miller to pre-register. If openings are still available, there will be a sign-up list at the main DPS meeting registration area, as well. This event is sponsored by NASA and the DPS Committee.

• Monday, October 13 Noon-1:30, Pursuing the Heavens: Five Hundred Years of Planetary Sciences. Carl A. Kroch Library. Dr. David W. Corson, Curator of the History of Science Collections of the Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections has organized a special 2-day lunchtime showing of rare astronomy and planetary science-related historic books and manuscripts from the Cornell collection. Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Halley, Herschel, Laplace, Maxwell... You know the names; have you seen the originals? Even if you have, come and see them again, up close and personal. The Cornell Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections will host this special exhibition for DPS conference attendees only on Monday and Tuesday of DPS 2008. Come meet David and some of the staff who curate and actively do research on some of these amazing documents. This event is made possible by the generous donation of time and effort by Dr. David W. Corson and the staff of the Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.

• Monday, October 13 5:00-6:30 pm, Taylor A/B Rooms - Observing with SOFIA For more information, contact Dana Backman.

• Monday, October 13 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. - The 2008 DPS Dinner/Dance (formerly known as a "banquet"). Come enjoy the rocks, soils, flora, and fauna at Ithaca's Museum of the Earth for a fun evening of food and entertainment. Mingle around the Museum and fill your plate at one of the several food stations (including vegetarian!) featuring yummy offerings from Hope's Way catering. Enjoy some local upstate NY wines and cider. Dance under the whale to the rockin' sound of local Ithaca favorites the Sim Redmond Band. Take an "insider" staff-led tour of the spectacular fossil and rock collections of the Museum and the associated Paleontological Research Institution. Buses will take meeting participants from the Statler Hotel to the Museum after the poster session ends, and will be available to return attendees to their hotels afterwards. Come let loose with the LOC at the DPS08 Dinner/Dance!

• Tuesday, October 14 Noon-1:30, Yale/Princeton Rooms - Green Conferencing How can we, the DPS, effectively "green" our meetings? - This discussion is open to all. If you have knowledge, or ideas, please come and help us formulate a workable plan for future meetings. For more information, contact Beth Clark or John Spencer. A carry-out lunch will be available from both the Terrace Cafein the Statler and the Lunch Box line in Barton. Please pick up your lunch before the workshop.

• Tuesday, October 14 Noon-2:30, Pennsylvania Room - International Outer Planet Watch The International Outer Planet Watch meeting will be devoted to discuss last year's observations (from ground-based and space) of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune atmospheres. We will also discuss future observing plans and possible targets of special interest in these atmospheres. Please send any proposed contribution to Augustin Sanchez-Lavega to prepare the Agenda.

• Tuesday, October 14 Noon-1:30, Pursuing the Heavens: Five Hundred Years of Planetary Sciences. Carl A. Kroch Library. Dr. David W. Corson, Curator of the History of Science Collections of the Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections has organized a special 2-day lunchtime showing of rare astronomy and planetary science-related historic books and manuscripts from the Cornell collection. Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Halley, Herschel, Laplace, Maxwell... You know the names; have you seen the originals? Even if you have, come and see them again, up close and personal. The Cornell Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections will host this special exhibition for DPS conference attendees only on Monday and Tuesday of DPS 2008. Come meet David and some of the staff who curate and actively do research on some of these amazing documents. This event is made possible by the generous donation of time and effort by Dr. David W. Corson and the staff of the Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.

• Wednesday, October 15, 1:00 to 6:30 PM - Field Trip to Wineries We have arranged two different field trips to give you a Taste of the Finger Lakes with Experience the finger lakes tour guides

• Thursday/Friday October 16/17 - Astronomy Educator Workshop at Ithaca College for college-level astronomy educators, based on previous "Astro 101" workshops and the SCALE-UP performance based physics program at IC. For details, contact L. Keller (lkeller@ithaca.edu), or G. Brissenden (gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu).

A list of events by date and room is available in pdf format.

Also check out the Local Guides for information on other things to do in town, including family activities.