Welcome
Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to announce that LSST@Europe8, the next installment of the LSST European conferences, will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from September 28 to October 2, 2026.
Previous conferences have shown us the importance of such an event, as professional achievements, interesting and often surprising ideas shape our community and our research work in the field.
We are eagerly preparing for this conference in Budapest, drawing on the organizational experience we have gained in previous years in the United Kingdom, Serbia, France, Italy, Croatia, the Canary Islands, La Palma, and Poland.
In previous years, we heard so much about the observatory that was already under construction and the plans for its operation. Last year all of this became reality as the first results obtained from the Data Preview 1 (DP1) were presented in papers and at the conference in Poland as well. This made the actual launch of this ambitious project increasingly tangible.
By the time of the Budapest conference, however, this sky survey program and the alert strem will be fully operational and functional, and it is very exciting that the Data Preview 2 (DP2) data package created with the LSSTCam camera, will be available.
During the conference, we would like to provide an opportunity to discuss the following topics:
- the current status of the observatory
- the potential of the DP1 and DP2 data and the LSST alert stream
- LSST DP2 and DR1 data, data storage centers, and how to access them
- topics related to in-kind contributions
- cooperation between European and international groups
We look forward to welcoming you to Budapest for what promises to be an inspiring and fruitful meeting.
Róbert Szabó
chairman
Deadlines
Important dates & deadlines
- mid-March 2026: First Announcement
- early April 2026: registration starts
- mid-April 2026: Second Announcement
- 15 June 2026: Extended deadline for early bird registration and abstract submission
- 30 June 2026: notification of contributed speakers about acceptance
- 28 September 2026: conference starts
- end of September 2026: Conference
Location
Venue and gallery
Committees
Scientific Organizing Committee:
- Róbert Szabó (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory, Hungary) chair
- Igor Andreoni (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, USA)
- Leo Girardi (Osservatori Astronomico di Padova, INAF, Italy)
- Andreja Gomboc (University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia)
- Leanne Guy (AURA/Vera Rubin Observatory, USA)
- Markus Hundertmarkt (University of Heidelberg, Germany)
- Dragana Ilic (University of Belgrade, Serbia)
- Tomislav Jurkic (University of Rijeka, Croatia)
- Sugata Kaviraj (University of Hertfordshire, UK)
- Johan Knapen (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain)
- Gautham Narayan (University of Illinois)
- Ashish Mahabal (Caltech, USA)
- Simona Mei (Université Paris Cité, France)
- Knut Olsen (NOAO, USA)
- Lovro Palaversa (Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia)
- Julien Peloton (IJCLab, University of Paris-Saclay, France)
- Agnieszka Pollo (NCBJ, Poland)
- Gyula M. Szabó (ELTE Gothard Astrophysical Observatory, Hungary)
- Matthew Temple (University of Durham, UK)
- Sandrine Thomas (AURA/Vera Rubin Observatory, USA)
- Beth Willman (Discovery Alliance)
Local Organizing Committee:
- Róbert Szabó (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory) co-chair
- Gyula M. Szabó (ELTE Gothard Astrophysical Observatory) co-chair
- Lívia Bárány (Eötvös University)
- Zsófia Bora (Eötvös University)
- Zsófia Fejes (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory)
- Mina Ghodsi Yengejeh (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory)
- Gábor Kovács (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory)
- Marcell Kovács (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory)
- Zsófia Kovács-Stermeczky (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory)
- Fanni Rab (Eötvös University)
- Domonkos Szabó (Eötvös University)
- László Szigeti (ELTE Gothard Astrophysical Observatory)
- Tamás Szklenár (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory)
- Nóra Takács (HUN-REN CSFK Konkoly Observatory)
Final timetable
Agenda
Link to the program
Link to the program
Abstract submission
We welcome the submission of abstracts of your latest research in one of our announced main themes isted below:
Main topics
- LSST - Project
- Dark Energy
- Strong Lensing
- Galaxies
- Active Galactic Nucleiv
- Transients and Variable Stars
- Informatics and Statistics
- Solar Sytem
- Stars, Milky Way, Local Volume
- Synergies with other missions
- Data Centers
- Follow-up
- Science with DP1/DP2
- Science with prompt data products
Extended deadline for abstract submission: AM 12:00 15 June, 2026
Abstracts should be prepared and submitted according to the instructions below:
- Language of the submitted abstract: English
- Title of Presentation
- Full name of author(s), (Please write the full name for all co-authors, do not use initials)
- Affiliation of author(s)
- In case of multiple authors / affiliations, please use index numbers in superscript
- The maximum length of the summary is one A/4 page
- MS Word file, Times New Roman font type, 12 pts font size, single line spacing required
- Text files should not contain headers or footers
- Please avoid abbreviations, if used, please elaborate it at the first time
- Abstract template
For the oral presentations computer projection will be provided.
Poster size: 90 x 120 cm (standing portrait A0)
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct for participants
The participation of every attendee to the workshop is valuable and we would like all the participants to have an enjoyable and productive experience. Therefore, we expect everyone to behave professionally, show politeness, respect, and courtesy, and abide by the Code of Conduct (sree below), which is aimed at avoiding any kind of behaviour that demeans, humiliates, or embarrasses a person and may evolve from any kind of discriminatory grounds. Such harassment includes offensive verbal comments and jokes - related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion - sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
LSST@Europe8 has adopted in full the Rubin Observatory practice of the AURA Harassment and Code of Conduct Policy (Standards of Workplace Conduct) and the Code of Conduct of the LSST PCW Franchise (Code of Conduct). Any participant who wishes to report a violation of this policy is asked to speak, in confidence, to the organizers coc_lsst_eu8@csfk.org. Reports will be handled by contact persons in accordance with the aforementioned documents.
Thank you for helping make this a welcoming, respectful space for all.
Conduct of chairs
We recommend the following practices for meeting and session chairs to improve the climate and the participation young scientists and minorities:
- Encourage and give priority to questions asked by young scientists during Q&A sessions.
- Ensure before the session that you can pronounce the names of the speakers correctly.
- Remind speakers and audience members to wait for and use microphones (when available), and those asking a question to identify themselves by name.
- Be prepared to intervene if questions or statements are posed in inappropriate or aggressive manner.
- Make sure the speaker is aware of the time they have left for their presentation and try to prevent them from overrunning their time slot at the expense of a Q&A session. Leave room for multiple questions after each talk.
- Ask the speakers beforehand if they agree on pictures or recordings of their presentation and inform the audience if the speaker does not wish contents of the presentation to be recorded and/or posted publicly.
Registration
Pre-registration is available in the conference’s official online database. Please register as soon as possible so that we can keep you informed about our latest news. We kindly ask you to use the online registration system below.
15 June, 2026. | Deadline for payment of the early registration fee.
Registration fee (early)
500 EUR
EARLY IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION
- Access to the scientific sessions
- Coffee breaks, lunches
- Conference materials
- Electronic abstract book
- Electronic certificate of attendance
- Welcome reception
- VAT
Registration fee (late)
600 EUR
LATE IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION
- Access to the scientific sessions
- Coffee breaks, lunches
- Conference materials
- Electronic abstract book
- Electronic certificate of attendance
- Welcome reception
- VAT
ON-LINE participation
400 EUR
NOT IN-PERSON | ON-LINE
- Access to the scientific sessions (in ZOOM )
- Electronic abstract book
- Electronic certificate of attendance
- VAT
All waiver applications must be reviewed and approved by the Local Organising Committee prior to registration (not pre-registration). Therefore, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR WAIVER REQUEST BY E-MAIL AND WAIT FOR CONFIRMATION BEFORE REGISTERING. Applicants who do not receive confirmation of waiver approval are required to register at the standard rate.
Please note that waivers apply only to the registration fee. Unfortunately, the Organising Committee is not able to provide financial support for travel or accommodation expenses.
Terms and conditions of participation
Advanced online registration is a condition of participation in the conference. During the online registration you should accept the terms and conditions of participation as well as the terms of cancellation written on this website. The registration fee includes entertainment allowances, such as catering services, reception, dinner etc. The gross amount of it is EUR 490 . In the final invoice the amount of these services will be indicated as intermediary service. See also the general terms and conditions.
Cancellation policy of registration
All the cancellations and changes must be sent to Diamond Congress Ltd. in written form.
Refund of the registration fee will be made as follows:
- 100% refund – in case of cancellation received before 10 July, 2026
- No refund – in case of cancellation, received after 10 July, 2026
Payment
All payments should be made in HUF. All charges due to bank transfers have to be paid by the sender. We advise you to bring the proof of payment with you when registering for the event in Budapest.
Bank transfer has to be made to
Bank Account:
Diamond Congress Kft. – LSST-EUROPE8
Bank: Raiffeisen Bank Zrt.
Acc.Number: 12010154-00175156-00100004
RÉSZVÉTELI FELTÉTELEK
A konferencián részt venni előzetes online regisztrációval lehetséges. Az online regisztráció alkalmával a résztvevők elfogadják az ezen a weboldalon meghirdetett jelentkezési és lemondási feltételeket, ezáltal írásos szerződés jön létre. A megrendelt szolgáltatásokról a Diamond Congress Kft. számlát állít ki.A regisztráció alkalmával kérjük, a számlázási adatokat pontosan megadni. A hatályos rendelkezések értelmében a számlának a vevő adószámát kötelező tartalmaznia, kérjük ennek megfelelően kiállítani a számlázási címet. Hivatalos számlát annak az intézetnek a nevére tudjuk kiállítani ahonnan a pénz beérkezett. Magánszemélytől érkező befizetés esetén a magánszemély nevére és címére kell a számlát kiállítani.
Amennyiben megrendelésszámot, PO számot, projektszámot vagy egyéb, a számlára egyedileg jellemző azonosítószámot kell feltüntetni a számlán, a szervezőknek ezt haladéktalanul jelezzék, mert számlakiállítás után a bizonylatokat módosítani nem áll módunkban.
A részvételi díjban szereplő étkezési költség illetve kulturális vagy társasági program (kávészünet, ebéd) minden esetben közvetített szolgáltatásként külön feltüntetésre kerül a számlán. Az SZJA tv 70§ (1) bekezdés alapján ez egyes meghatározott juttatásnak minősül a kifizetőnél, mely alapján ő köteles megfizetni az étkezést terhelő adókat (A számlán feltüntetett étkezési összeg: bruttó 490 EUR ). Ebben az esetben a kifizető szolgáltatást igénybe vevő cég/intézet. Ettől eltérni a törvényi szabályozás alapján nem lehet. Kérjük a pályázati pénzkeretekből részvételi díjat fizetőket, hogy előzetesen tájékozódjanak a pályázati kiírások feltételeiről, mert az étkezési költségek információja a számlán kötelező számlaelem ebben az esetben is.
FIZETÉSI- ÉS LEMONDÁSI FELTÉTELEK
A konferenciára történő regisztráció után Ön legenerálhatja a díjbekérő proforma számláját, melynek fizetése átutalással történik. A részvétel lemondását kizárólag e-mailen, tehát írásos formában tudjuk elfogadni. A részvétel lemondása 2026. július 10-ig lehetséges, 80%-os díjvisszatérítés mellett. 2026. július 10. után a lemondást 100 %-os kötbér terheli. A megrendelt nem-, vagy későn lemondott, és nem igénybe vett szolgáltatások kiszámlázásra kerülnek, mivel a szolgáltatásokat a szervezőknek meg kell rendelniük.
Bankszámlaszám:
Kedvezményezett: Diamond Congress Kft.
Bank neve: Raiffeisen Bank Zrt.
Számlaszám: 12010154-00175156-00100004
Conference Venue Hotel
Ensana Thermal Margaret Island**** is the official conference hotel recommended by the Organizers. You can book a room at the special conference rates by using the hotel reservation link RESERVATION LINK
VAT, city tax, breakfasts are included in the prices.
Budapest, Hungary
Superior room, double bed
Budapest, Hungary
Superior room, twin bed
Budapest, Hungary
Superior room, twin bed
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Budapest, Hungary
Superior room, king size bed
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Budapest, Hungary
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Budapest, Hungary
Superior room, bathroom
Ensana Thermal Margaret Island
Budapest, Hungary
Premium Twin Room
169.13 EUR/room/night
Premium Double Room
169.13 EUR/room/night
Travel and Visa
Travel from Budapest…
Participants will most likely arrive to Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport. The fastest way to downtown Budapest is either by taxi or by the Airport Shuttle minibuses. The Airport Shuttle operates a booth right at the arrival exit of the airport. For actual fares, please visit their website.
Those who prefer public transport (BKK) can reach the city centre with the bus 100E from either terminal. Tickets can be purchased at the airport.
We highly recommend you to use BudapestGo Public transport app to plan your trip within Budapest, or buy your tickets.
Note that passengers may transfer between metro lines with the same ticket but not between other means of transport, so reaching the city centre requires at least two tickets. A single ticket costs 350 HUF (100E airport shuttle buses are available for a special fare, not for the ordinary price). You can find a list of all available ticket options here.
Travel to Budapest by air
There are daily direct flights from most European and from some North American cities. Liszt Ferenc Airport is situated on the SE margin of Budapest, 20 km from the city centre and is a popular destination for many low fare air carriers. The Airport Minibus service is relatively cheap and reliable.
Public transport (#200E, air conditioned) circulates between the terminals and the Kőbánya-Kispest terminal of the Metro line 3 (“blue line”) at 8-15-minute intervals in daytime. #100E bus cruises between the airport and the Deák Ferenc Square directly to the downtown of the Pest side of Budapest. As an alternative, trains from Terminal 1 leave for Nyugati railway station frequently.
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Metro, suburban railway and tram network
in Budapest |
Metro and suburban railway lines of Budapest |
Budapest airport has two terminals
(practically one large, as 2B is directly connected to 2A),
- Terminal 2A: for international flights arriving from the Schengen zone
- Terminal 2B: for flights arriving from the non-schengen zone, departure terminal for budget airlines
Travel to Budapest by train
Budapest has direct rail links to some 25 capitals. There are three major international railway stations in Budapest:
- Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station), on Metro line 2 (“red line”)
and Metro line 4 (“green line”) - Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Railway Station), on Metro line 3 (“blue line”)
- Déli Pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station), on Metro line 2 (“red line”)
For information on international connections in English see the railway journey planner of the MÁV-Start Zrt. (Hungarian Railway Passenger Transport Co.) or the international railway journey planner Deutsche Bahn.
Visa and customs information
Customs information for Hungary
Hungary joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Since that date Hungary has adopted the customs regulation of the European Union. Detailed information about travel documents and customs can be found at this website. For further information about the custom procedures, please read the homepage of the Hungarian customs authority.
Visa information for Hungary
Hungary is part of the Schengen Area of 25 European countries. For non-Schengen EU, USA and Canadian citizens a valid passport is sufficient to enter Hungary. Citizens of other countries should check whether visa is needed for them when entering Hungary (for more information please visit the home page of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Hungary). On request, the Organizing Committee will issue invitation letters for visa applications. Please apply in due time for a visa if necessary. Please indicate during the registration if you need a personal invitation to attend the conference. It is important to note that a visa is only a preliminary permission for entry, which does not authorise its bearer automatically to enter the country.
Hungary and Budapest
Hungary and Budapest information
Hungary is a landlocked country of 93,030 km2 area in Central Europe, in the middle of the Carpathian Basin. It is bounded on the north by Slovakia; on the northeast by Ukraine; on the east by Romania; on the south by Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia; and on the west by Austria. Plains and gentle hills of the Pannonian Basin dominate its surface. Some inselbergs form 600-900 m high mountain ranges. Temperate grasslands, agricultural land, meadows and non-coniferous forests characterise the landscape. Two major rivers: the Danube and the Tisza flow across the country from north to south. Lake Balaton, the biggest lake in Central Europe is a favourite target of tourists because of its warm water and nice landscape.
During its more than 1000 years of existence Hungary has experienced every possible historical ups and downs. It was several times invaded by different empires, occupied neighbouring areas, suffered several subdivisions, won battles and campaigns, lost world wars, survived civil wars and fallen revolutions. Since 2004 Hungary has been a member of the European Union.
Hungary has a slowly diminishing population of 10 million. The capital: Budapest is the most densely populated area with its 1.7 million inhabitants. Major cities of over 100,000 inhabitants are Debrecen, Miskolc, Szeged, Pécs, Győr, Nyíregyháza, Kecskemét and Székesfehérvár.
The dominant Hungarian (Magyar) population arrived from the east, from the Ural region. Its Finno-Ugric language and its traditional folklore is different from those of the surrounding Slavic, German and Romanian populations. Today’s Hungary hosts ethnic minorities (altogether 10%) including Roma (Gipsies), Germans, Slovakians, Croatians, Serbs, Romanians etc. Nearly 3 millions Hungarians live outside Hungary as minorities, mostly in the immediate neighbourhood.
From the wide range of travel and tourism information sites on Hungary see e.g. the official Hungary tourism site.
Briefly on Budapest
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is an economic, financial and cultural centre with two million inhabitants. The city, known by many as the “Pearl of the Danube”, is undoubtedly one of the most beautifully located capitals in the world. Budapest has a history dating back over 2000 years: there are ruins from the times of the Roman Empire as well as from the Middle Ages.
Its main characteristics reflect the atmosphere of the end of the 19th century when the millennium of the Hungarian state was celebrated. It boasts a number of museums, theatres, concert halls, a lot of restaurants and other amenities.
Due to the favourable geological setting of Budapest, there are more than 100 thermal springs and wells producing more than 30,000 m3 of thermal water supply to 12 medicinal baths. In recent years the UNESCO put several parts of the city on the World Heritage list. For more information about Budapest, you may wish to visit some of the links below:
Official home page of Budapest: http://english.budapest.hu/Engine.aspx
Wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest
Social programs
Welcome reception (Sunday)
We are organizing an icebreaker welcome reception on Sunday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the conference venue (the hotel). The reception is included in the registration fee. We hope you can join us! You can also complete your registration on site during the reception, allowing you to avoid the Monday morning rush and the queues at the registration desk.
Public talk and observing session (Tuesday)
On Tuesday at 6:00 PM, Zeljko Ivezic, Head of LSST, will give a public talk in English at the conference venue. The talk will also be translated into Hungarian and is titled Rubin’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time: The Greatest Movie of All Time! All conference participants are welcome to join.
After the talk, weather permitting, we will have a public observing session led by László Kiss, CSFK Director General. Yes, you heard that right: an observing session just a few days after the full Moon, from the heart of a capital city with 1.7 million inhabitants! The keyword is smart telescope. Join us if you are interested!
Participation in both events is free, but a simple registration is required. Please follow this link: https://forms.gle/Wx3X9HX8Ce6yYqHo8
Visit to the Svábhegyi Observatory (Wednesday)
On Wednesday afternoon – which is a free afternoon with no official program scheduled – we are organizing a visit to Konkoly Observatory and its interactive public observatory, the Svábhegyi Observatory. You will learn about the 127-year history of our observatory, visit the historic 24-inch telescope, and explore several innovative physics and astronomy installations at our visitor center.If you are interested, you definitely won’t want to miss this opportunity!
We will use public transport to get there and will try to travel as a group. The tour is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM at the observatory. The event is free of charge, but we kindly ask everyone interested to register in advance using the following link: https://forms.gle/kHKzjYTLfGuAtWhP8
Members of the LOC will help and accompany you, and we will provide more information about public transport closer to the event.
River cruise and conference dinner (Thursday)
Our conference dinner on Thursday will offer a unique experience, as it will take place on a Danube cruise boat. The cruise will start at 7:00 PM and end at around 10:00 PM. The boat will depart from and return directly to the conference venue on the banks of the Danube.
You will enjoy a delightful dinner served on board while cruising along the Danube, with breathtaking views of Budapest’s illuminated skyline. During the cruise, you will have the opportunity to admire one of Europe’s most spectacular urban panoramas, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
The protected area stretches from the Chain Bridge to the Budapest University of Technology and Economics on the Buda side, encompassing the Gellért Thermal Bath, Gellért Hill with the Liberty Statue and the Citadella, as well as the iconic Buda Castle District.
The fee is EUR 75 per person and can be paid through the conference website. There will also be plenty of time to enjoy the spectacular views over a drink. We still have a few places available, so if you are interested, we strongly encourage you to reserve your spot!