Past Events

Planetary Sciences

The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society (MetSoc 2019)

Returning to Japan after a hiatus of over 10 years, the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society was held at Hokkaido University in Sapporo from July 7-12, 2019. When it comes to the spaces sciences, Hokkaido University is one of the leading research institutes in Japan, and its breadth of expertise and local knowledge was one of the compelling reasons MetSoc chose Sapporo as host-city.

From the first stages of the bidding process in October 2014 to the actual meeting in July 2019, Sapporo Convention Bureau provided support every step of the way. The tea ceremony and Japanese calligraphy, cultural programs arranged by the bureau, were a particular hit, drawing almost a third of the attendees and lending atmosphere to the venue.

_3, 2, 1...Touchdown!
The JAXA Hayabusa2 Asteroid Explorer made a timely landing on the asteroid Ryugu during the meeting. Attendees crowded together to watch the live feed, breaking into cheers and applause when the probe successfully made contact.

_Local Impact
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Yamato Meteorites in the Antarctic, organizers held an open lecture for Sapporo residents, making an impact on the community and sparking new interest in the field.

_On-Site
After a productive few days of lectures and poster sessions at Hokkaido University, delegates set out on field trips to the Horoman Peridotite Complex and the Mt. Apoi Geopark, a wonderful opportunity to see Hokkaido peridotite first-hand and exchange knowledge with local experts.

_Rock, or rice ball?
Look twice before you take a bite! Organizers offered their own clever spin on the Japanese rice ball, making them in the likeness of meteorites using black seaweed.

EXTERNAL LINK