Hungarian astronomers last held a comprehensive meeting in 2013, where researchers from domestic research institutes and those working abroad could gather. Following the success of the event, the demand for another meeting was expressed, and planning began in early 2020. However, the initiative was swept away by the COVID pandemic, so we had to wait until 2025 for the next occasion.
The Assembly of Hungarian Astronomers 2025 was hosted by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences as part of the MTA200 series of events as part of the month of physics. The one-day conference was attended by 135 people, representing all research institutions in Hungary. Several Hungarian astronomers currently working abroad also joined, making the event a great opportunity for researchers working in different parts of the world to get to know each other and each other's work better.
The meeting began with introductions of the institutions, followed by scientific presentations. The program featured three keynote presentations by Maria Lugaro and Ramón Brasser (HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences) and Zoltán Haiman (ISTA, Austria), who recently was awarded an ERC grant. The afternoon continued with presentations by PhD students, followed by a young researchers' forum where early-career scientists shared their experiences and future plans. In addition to the presentations, there was also an opportunity to present results on posters: these posters are still available on the conference website.
Feedback indicated that the meeting was a great success, with many participants emphasizing how important it was for them to meet and get to know colleagues with whom they would not otherwise have had contact. The main criticism was that the one-day program was too short, as a longer event would have provided more opportunities for a more relaxed program and more informal discussions. Hopefully, the Hungarian astronomers' gathering will now take place more frequently.
Photos: Tamás Thaler