The PLATO workshop “Theoreticians or Observers Alike: Get Ready to submit a successful PLATO Open Time Proposal” will be held at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching near Munich on 20 – 21 Oct 2025.

This 2-day hands-on workshop aims to help the community in getting ready to prepare and apply for competitive open PLATO GO time, by answering ESA’s call for proposals in spring 2026 (9 months before launch). This event will be conducted in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and virtual participation.

After a general description of the mission and a demonstration of the GO call by an ESA representative, participants will learn how to use PLATO’s instruments, its end-to-end simulator, or existing mock simulations, in order to evaluate the feasibility of their science plans. They will be guided to prepare their proposals by key figures in the PLATO-CS leadership, including 2025 Biermann lecturer Conny Aerts, with the aim to maximize the breath and appeal of the PLATO GO program.

Please save the date!

WHEN

From 20 to 21st of October 2025.

WHERE 

Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, Postfach 1317, D-85741 Garching, Germany

SHORT LINKS

• Meeting’s webpage
• Registration (closed by 1st Jul 2025. Max 50 people, no registration fee)

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

• Conny Aerts (KU Leuven, co-chair, PLATO representative)
• Selma de Mink (MPA, co-chair, local host)
• Nicholas Jannsen (KU Leuven, PLATO instrument simulator)
• Andrew Tkachenko, KU Leuven, Daily Manager PLATO Complementary Science)
• Laurence O’Rourke (ESA Science Operations Development Manager PLATO GO call)
• David Brown (Daily Manager, PLATO Science Management)
• Jakub Klencki (MPA, local host)
• Ana Lomidze (MPA, Administrative support)