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22nd International EISCAT Symposium 2026
and 49th Annual European Meeting on Atmospheric Studies by Optical Methods

The 22nd International EISCAT Symposium 2025 and 49th Annual European Meeting on Atmospheric Studies by Optical Methods (49AM) will be hosted jointly by EISCAT and Swedish Institute for Space Physics (IRF) at Space Campus in Kiruna, Sweden.

This page is under construction and will be updated as new information becomes available.

When: 24th – 28th August 2026
Where: Space Campus, Kiruna, Sweden
Timetable: The meeting will start on Monday at 10.00 and end on Friday at 15.00.
Schedule: Insert file

Registration and submissions

Registration will open early in early 2026.

Registration deadline: 21st April 2026

Abstract Submission: 21st April 2026

Science Programme Committee

TBD

Local Organising Committee

Thomas Ulich, EISCAT AB, chair

Travel to Kiruna

We recommend that you book your travel to Kiruna as soon as possible.

Kiruna by Air

You can fly directly to Kiruna Airport (KIR/ESNQ). Other airports in the region are Evenes Harstad Narvik Airport (EVE/ENEV) and Tromsø (TOS/ENTC) in Norway, from where you can travel by bus and/or train to Kiruna. See, e.g., Flybussen Evenes.

Kiruna by Train

You can reach Kiruna, e.g., by night train from Stockholm, or by train from Narvik, Norway. Please refer to the Swedish Railways for more information.

Accomodation

Due to high demand for hotels in Kiruna, we recommend to book your accommodation as soon as possible.

The City of Kiruna

Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden with a population of about 17,000 people. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality in Norrbotten County. The city was originally built in the 1890s to serve the world’s biggest underground iron ore mine owned by LKAB.

Due to the LKAB mine extending its operation under the old centre of Kiruna, large chunks of the town are being relocated, and historic buildings are moved to new places, including the Kiruna church that resulted in the cancelled meeting last year.

Kiruna is the Space capital of Sweden with several notable space science entities operating here:

Timezone: Local time in Sweden and Norway is Central European Time (CET=UTC+1h). At the time of the EISCAT Symposium the time will be Central European Summer Time (CEST=UTC+2h). 

Weather in Kiruna

Aurora watching in Kiruna

The Symposium will take place late summer, just at the end of the Polar Day when the White Nights of the Arctic Summer come to an end. The nights start to be dark enough to see the aurora in the late evening and very early morning.

           |        | Sun    |  Too   | Sun    | Sun    |  Dark 
Date       | Darkst | Elev   | Bright | Rise   | Set    | Enough
-----------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
2026-08-24 | 00:41  | -11.0° | 03:21  | 04:35  | 20:44  | 22:54  | 
2026-08-25 | 00:41  | -11.3° | 03:26  | 04:39  | 20:39  | 22:46  | 
2026-08-26 | 00:40  | -11.7° | 03:31  | 04:42  | 20:35  | 22:38  | 
2026-08-27 | 00:40  | -12.0° | 03:36  | 04:46  | 20:31  | 22:31  | 
2026-08-28 | 00:40  | -12.4° | 03:41  | 04:50  | 20:27  | 22:24  | 
2026-08-29 | 00:39  | -12.7° | 03:46  | 04:54  | 20:22  | 22:17  | 
2026-08-30 | 00:39  | -13.1° | 03:50  | 04:57  | 20:18  | 22:11  | 
2026-08-31 | 00:39  | -13.4° | 03:55  | 05:01  | 20:14  | 22:04  | 
2026-09-01 | 00:38  | -13.8° | 04:00  | 05:05  | 20:09  | 21:58  |

The table above shows the time (CEST) when it is darkest including the Sun’s elevation below the horizon at that time. Also shown are the times when it becomes too bright / dark enough for seeing the aurora, as well as sunrise and sunset.