New Visions in Optical Interferometry Workshop

March 16-18, 2026: CHARA and MROI Science Meeting

March 18-20, 2026: Workshop on New Visions in Optical Interferometry

The 2026 CHARA and MROI Science Meeting will be held at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM on March 16-18, 2026. The meeting will bring together the CHARA and MROI communities to discuss recent science results and technical developments at the CHARA Array and the Magdalena Ridge Optical Interferometer (MROI). We welcome participation from those in the CHARA consortium, MROI, and the community of open access observers.

Following the science meeting, there will be an interactive data workshop on New Visions in Optical Interferometry on March 18-20, 2026. Optical interferometry is a technique that combines the light gathered from multiple telescopes together to achieve the high spatial resolution necessary to image the surfaces of stars and the inner regions of their circumstellar environments. Participants will learn about best practices in planning interferometric observations and how to use software tools to model interferometric data and reconstruct images of astronomical sources. Hands-on sessions will guide participants through exercises to measure a stellar diameter, detect a binary companion, model a circumstellar disk around a young star, and image starspots on the surface of a star. We gratefully acknowledge financial support for the workshop through the Heising-Simons Foundation. This includes travel support for students and post-docs.

Hybrid format: Participants can attend and deliver talks either in-person or online.

Important Dates

  • December 8, 2025 - Registration opens.
  • January 31, 2026 - Last day to apply for travel support for the workshop.
  • February 13, 2026 - Last day to register and submit a title for a talk at the science meeting.
  • February 13, 2026 - Preliminary paperwork due for travel reimbursement (vendor profile or W-8BEN forms).
  • March 16-20, 2026 - CHARA/MROI Science Meeting and New Visions Workshop.
  • March 23, 2026 - Deadline to submit payment request and receipts for travel reimbursement.

Registration:

Registration Link. Please register and submit a title for your talk for the science meeting by February 13, 2026. If you are applying for financial support to attend the workshop, please complete the registration link by January 31, 2026.

Payment link. There is a registration fee of $100 for faculty/staff to cover lunches and coffee breaks during the CHARA/MROI Science Meeting. Postdocs and students are free.

Travel Support Available for New Visions Workshop:

Financial support is available to cover travel expenses for the New Visions workshop.This includes airfare, ground transportation, lodging, and meals not covered by the hotel/conference. Allowable travel dates include the day before and after the conference (i.e., arrival on March 15 and departure on March 21 for those attending both the science meeting and workshop; March 17-21 for those only attending the workshop). Participants receiving financial support must attend the New Visions in Interferometry Workshop. If approved to receive financial support to attend the workshop, participants can also receive support to attend the CHARA science meeting.

Travel will be reimbursed through Georgia State University. Participants can apply for travel support through the registration link below. Applications for financial support must be submitted by January 31, 2026. Decisions on financial support will be announced by the first week in February.

To begin the reimbursement process, participants will need to complete a Vendor Profile Form (Domestic travelers) or W8BEN Form (International travelers) by February 13, 2026. The final Payment Request Form (leave speedchart and account code fields blank) and receipts (i.e. rental car, meals, airfare, taxi/shuttle) must be submitted by March 23, 2026.

Venue:

The CHARA Science Meeting and New Visions Workshop will be held on the campus of New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM.

Conference Dinner:

A conference dinner will be held on the evening of Wednesday, March 18 at 7pm.

Excursion:

We are planning an excursion to MROI or VLA on the afternoon of March 18, 2025. Transportation for the excursion will depart at 1pm and return around 6:00 - 6:30pm. Final decision on the location will depend on whether there is snow on Magdalena Ridge that would limit accessibility. High altitude waivers will need to be signed if visiting the MROI. Participants should bring hats, gloves, and coats in case of cold weather on the Ridge.

Hotels:

A block of rooms have been reserved at two hotels in Socorro:

  • Holiday Inn - $139 per night. Reservations must be made by the end of January.
    • 1040 N California St, Socorro, NM 87801
    • 1.1 mile from campus.
    • Breakfast included.
  • Comfort Inn - $110 per night. Double rooms available. Reservations must be made by February 23, 2026 at 4 PM MST.
    •  1259 Frontage Rd NW, Socorro, NM 87801
    • 1.6 miles from campus.
    • Breakfast included.

We will arrange carpools/shuttles for those needing transportation between the hotel and campus.

Travel Information:

We recommend flying into the Albuquerque Airport. Socorro is about 1h15m drive from the airport. We encourage participants to coordinate travel plans to share rental cars. We will post an online spreadsheet where participants can list arrival and departure times to coordinate ground transportation.

Organizing Committees:

Many thanks to our hosts at New Mexico Tech: Michelle Creech-Eakman and Ryan Norris!

Scientific Organizing Committee: Gail Schaefer (chair), Fabien Baron, Isabelle Tallon-Bosc, Douglas Gies, Jeremy Jones (co-chair), Cyprien Lanthermann, John Monnier, Ryan Norris, Jayadev Rajagopal, Steve Ridgway, Rachael Roettenbacher, Nic Scott, Gerard van Belle.

Local Organizing Committee: Dana Baylis-Aguirre, Michelle Creech-Eakman, Ryan Norris

We gratefully acknowledge financial support for the New Visions in Optical Interferometry Workshop through the Heising-Simons Foundation. This includes travel support for students and post-docs.