SPD Latest News
February 11, 2026 – Solar Physics Division of the AAS Announces 2026 Hale, González Hernández, and Harvey Prize Winners
The Solar Physics Division (SPD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is proud to announce the recipients of its prestigious 2026 awards, honoring outstanding contributions to the field of solar physics. This year’s honorees are Dr. Yi-Ming Wang, Dr. Paola Testa, and Dr. Lakshmi Pradeep Chitta, recognized for their transformative scientific achievements and significant impact on our understanding of the Sun and heliospheric processes.
Dr. Yi-Ming Wang of the Naval Research Laboratory has been awarded the 2026 George Ellery Hale Prize for his sustained and foundational contributions to the understanding of solar magnetism, the solar cycle, and the solar wind. Over the course of his career, Dr. Wang has shaped the field through pioneering theoretical insights and models, including the Wang–Sheeley–Arge (WSA) solar wind model, that have become central to both research investigations and operational space weather forecasting. His work has profoundly influenced how the community models and interprets variability in solar magnetic activity and its effects throughout the heliosphere.
The 2026 Irene González Hernández Prize is presented to Dr. Paola Testa of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian for her significant mid-career contributions to solar physics and the solar–stellar connection. Dr. Testa’s research has advanced our understanding of coronal heating, high-energy stellar emission, and the complex plasma processes that govern the outer atmospheres of the Sun and other stars. In addition to her scientific achievements, she has provided visionary leadership in the development of major solar missions and instruments, shaping the future of observational heliophysics.
The 2026 Karen Harvey Prize is awarded to Dr. Lakshmi Pradeep Chitta of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in recognition of his exceptional early-career achievements in unraveling the magnetic coupling between the solar surface and atmosphere. Dr. Chitta’s innovative work blending high-resolution observations with theoretical analysis has yielded new insights into the physical mechanisms that energize and structure the solar atmosphere. His collaborative spirit and commitment to community service exemplify the values of this prize.
The Solar Physics Division congratulates these distinguished scientists on their achievements and their ongoing contributions to advancing our understanding of the Sun and its influence on the heliosphere. Their work continues to inspire new research directions and foster excellence across the solar physics community.
About the SPD Prizes
The George Ellery Hale Prize recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of solar astronomy over a sustained career. The Irene González Hernández Prize honors mid-career scientists whose work demonstrates scientific excellence, leadership, and service to the field. The Karen Harvey Prize acknowledges significant research contributions by scientists in the early stages of their professional careers. These awards will be presented at the
57th Meeting of the AAS Solar Physics Division, to be held August 9–14, 2026, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Hale Prize Press Release | Harvey Prize Press Release | González Hernández Prize Press Release.
February 2, 2026 – 2026 Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Awards – Call for Applications from Meeting Organizers
The Solar Physics Division (SPD) hereby announces the Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Award Program for calendar year 2026. The Thomas Metcalf Travel Fund was established in 2007 with generous contributions from his family and many others to help early-career scientists attend meetings relevant to solar physics. In 2026, in addition to two meetings already supported in early 2026, an additional two or three meetings will be selected by the Metcalf Travel Award Committee (MTAC) on the basis of brief proposals submitted by Meeting Organizers to MTAC. The total amount available this year is expected to be about USD $14,000. See the Thomas Metcalf Travel Awards page for more details.
February 2, 2026 – The Solar Physics Division’s 57th Annual Meeting
The Solar Physics Division’s 57th Annual Meeting (SPD 57, 2026) will occur August 9-14, 2026, at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in the Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD. Stay tuned for more information on submitting abstracts.
February 2, 2026 – SPD Popular Media Awards
The Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society solicits nominations for the Popular Media Award, which is awarded annually to authors of popular articles / new media (e.g., interactive media, video) about the Sun or the effects of the Sun on the Earth’s environment. Three awards are made: one to a scientist, one to a journalist, and one to a student. See the
SPD Popular Media Awards page for more details.
September 27, 2025 – 5th Annual Graduate Student & Postdoc Opportunity Fair.
The SPD Committee will host its 5th annual Graduate Student & Postdoc Opportunity Fair virtually on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
This event is aimed at undergraduate/graduate students with backgrounds in Physics, Astronomy and related disciplines (engineering, computer science, AI…) who are considering a career in Solar Physics, Heliophysics and/or Space Weather. The goal of this event is to introduce prospective grad students and postdocs to US-based institutions that teach and/or perform research in these areas, with the ultimate mission of unraveling the mysteries of our nearest star.
May 1, 2025 – Announcing the 2024 SPD Popular Media Award Winners.
The AAS Solar Physics Division (SPD) is delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Popular Media Awards, recognizing excellence in communicating solar science to the public through journalism, creative content, and student writing.
Journalist Award: Kathryn Schulz
“What a Major Solar Storm Could Do to Our Planet” — The New Yorker (Feb 26, 2024)
Schulz’s compelling feature in The New Yorker offers a vivid, accessible, and urgent look at how solar storms could impact our technologically dependent world.
Scientist Award: Dr. Ryan French
Awarded for a corpus of multimedia outreach in 2024, including TikTok and YouTube videos and an article for Space.com.
Student Award: Annelia Anderson
“Johannes Kepler and the Case of the Disappearing Sunspots” — astrobites (Aug 29, 2024)
Anderson’s engaging and informative article connects Kepler’s historical observations with modern heliophysics.
These awards will be presented at the 56th SPD Meeting, held jointly with the AAS and Laboratory Astrophysics Division in Anchorage, Alaska, June 8–12, 2025. See the Popular Media Awards page and the full press release for details.
May 1, 2025 – Metcalf Travel Award Program Will Be Running Indefinitely Following a Generous Donation from the Metcalf Family and SPD
After more than a decade of supporting early-career scientists, the SPD Thomas Metcalf Travel Award Program (MTAP) is now positioned to continue indefinitely at its current level of activity following another generous donation to the MTAP fund by the Metcalf family. See the Thomas Metcalf Travel Awards page for more details.
