IAU Symposium 285, "New Horizons in Time Domain Astronomy", was held at the University of Oxford during September 19-23, 2011. The final programme of plenary sessions and workshops is available, as well as links to some presentations given at the conference.

Further information on the afternoon workshops and break-out sessions can be found here.

The abstract booklet of all talks and posters is also available.

Variability pervades the cosmos. Studies of variability dominate research in astrophysics, and are so common that very many groups, projects and instruments are dedicated to the examination of just one form of variability, or one aspect of its diverse manifestations.

This symposium will cut across the accepted grain, and examine the phenomenon of variability itself. It will cover all aspects of time-domain astronomy, interpreting its various forms to obtain a detailed understanding of the physics involved.

A key part of the programme is a series of focus/break-out sessions that will be held on the afternoons of Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. These sessions will allow for hands-on work with software tools, examination of the data and techniques necessary to understand certain types of phenomena, and in-depth explorations of the astrophysics underlying variability in diverse but specific situations.

The symposium will:

Confirmed Invited Speakers