Early solar system processes & organics
Presolar grains, IDPs, chronology and the first solids of the Solar System.
6th Symposium
Meteoroids, Meteors & Meteorites
Messengers from Space. Two days on the origin and evolution of the Solar System, read from the rocks that reach us.
Organised and supported by
The 6th edition comes to Kharagpur
The Department of Geology & Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur, in association with the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, is organising MetMeSS 2026: a planetary science symposium on the origin and evolution of the Solar System.
The programme spans laboratory analysis of Earth and planetary materials alongside the modelling work that deciphers how planetary bodies evolve. Two days of talks, posters and discussion, bracketed by a two-day school for students and a two-day field trip.
Scientific programme
Themes & sessions
Abstracts are invited across six sessions. Indicate your preferred session when you submit.
Differentiated bodies
Asteroids, the Moon and Mars. Differentiation, magmatism and planetary evolution.
Asteroids, comets, micrometeorites & returned samples
Small-body science and material brought home by sample-return missions.
Planetary analogues
Terrestrial analogue sites and what they teach us about planetary processes.
Remote sensing & instrumentation
Orbital and in-situ observation, payload design and data analysis.
Space weathering, meteors & the atmosphere
Surface processing of airless bodies, and the role of meteors in atmospheric and ionospheric processes.
Important dates
Abstract submission opensOpen now
Registration opens
Deadline for abstract submission
Notification of abstract acceptance
Deadline, pre-conference school application
Pre-conference school, selection notification
Outreach day for school students
Pre-conference school (Karyashala)
Symposium
Post-conference field trip
Note: abstract submission closes on 15 October 2026. Registration opens shortly and will have its own deadline, announced here. Write to metmess2026@gmail.com for any clarification.
Keynote speakers
Invited lectures spanning the full arc of meteoritics, from the first solids of the Solar System to impact processes, remote sensing and analogue fieldwork.
Prof. Anil Bhardwaj
Director, PRL Ahmedabad
Inaugural address
Prof. Mahesh Anand
The Open University, UK
Lunar volatiles & sample science
Prof. Gopalan Srinivasan
CSSEH, Bhopal
Early solar system & O-isotopes
Dr. Bhalamurugan Sivaraman
PRL Ahmedabad
Astrochemistry & astrobiology
Prof. Kuljeet Kaur Marhas
PRL Ahmedabad
Presolar grains & chronology
Prof. Dwijesh Ray
PRL Ahmedabad
Impact processes & shock metamorphism
Mr. Ramakant R. Mahajan
PRL Ahmedabad
Noble gases & exposure ages
Dr. Dipak Kumar Panda
PRL Ahmedabad
Meteorite mineralogy
Prof. Nachiketa Rai
IIT Roorkee
Differentiated bodies & planetesimals
Prof. Ramananda Chakrabarti
IISc Bengaluru
Isotope geochemistry
Prof. Rajesh V. J.
IIST Thiruvananthapuram
Planetary analogues
Mr. Satadru Bhattacharya
Space Applications Centre, ISRO
Remote sensing & spectroscopy
Dr. Arindam Dutta
Geological Survey of India, Kolkata
Terrestrial impact structures
Dr. Ritesh Kumar Mishra
AMETEK India
CAIs & micro-analytical methods
Talk titles and the detailed session schedule will be published here once abstracts have been reviewed.
Programme
Outline schedule. The detailed programme and abstract volume will be posted closer to the symposium.
Outreach day for school students
Talks pitched at school level, a meteorite specimen display and guided laboratory visits, for students from schools in and around Kharagpur. Free, by prior arrangement.
Pre-conference school (Karyashala)
Training school for MSc, MTech and PhD students: lectures by subject experts, tutorials, hands-on sessions, group discussions and laboratory visits. Separate application, closing 5 October 2026.
Registration
Inaugural ceremony
Sessions I and II
Early solar system processes and organics. Differentiated bodies.
Poster session
Conference banquet
Sessions III to VI
Small bodies and returned samples. Planetary analogues. Remote sensing and instrumentation. Space weathering and meteors.
Laboratory visits
Facilities at the Department of Geology & Geophysics.
Concluding session, awards and feedback
Departure and geological traverse
Itinerary to be announced.
Field stops and return
Itinerary to be announced.
Take part
Abstracts & registration
Abstract submission is open now. Registration opens once the institute payment facility is in place, and we will announce it here and by email.
Submit an abstract
Open now. One page, using the official template. Upload the DOCX and a PDF. You get an abstract ID and a confirmation email with your files attached.
Register
Opening shortly. We are waiting on the institute payment facility. Submit your abstract now, and register when it opens. You do not need to be registered to submit.
Apply to the school
MSc, MTech and PhD students can apply for the pre-conference school on 25 October. Selected participants get travel, accommodation and food. Applications close 5 October 2026.
| Category | Indian | Foreign |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty / Scientist / Permanent staff | ₹6,000 | USD 150 |
| Postdoctoral fellow | ₹4,000 | USD 150 |
| PhD scholar | ₹2,500 | USD 100 |
| Student (UG / PG) | ₹2,500 | USD 100 |
Registration includes the conference kit, lunches and refreshments, and the banquet. There is no fee for the pre-conference school; selected participants are supported. The field trip is charged separately, details to follow.
Travel support for students. A limited number of travel grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Write to metmess2026@gmail.com to register your interest.
Abstract format. One page, Times New Roman 10 pt, US Letter, using the official template. Abstracts in any other format will be returned.
Venue, travel & stay
IIT Kharagpur
Founded in 1951 as the first of the Indian Institutes of Technology, IIT Kharagpur hosts the Department of Geology & Geophysics, among the oldest earth science departments in the country. The symposium is held on the main campus in Kharagpur, West Bengal.
Reaching Kharagpur
- By air. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata (about 130 km), then road or rail.
- By rail. Kharagpur Junction is a major stop on the Howrah to Chennai line, about 2 hours from Howrah.
- By road. NH-16 connects Kharagpur to Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.
Accommodation
Limited guest-house accommodation on campus will be offered to registered participants on a first-come basis. A list of nearby hotels with negotiated rates will be published here.
Committee
Patrons
- Prof. Suman ChakrabortyDirector, IIT Kharagpur
- Prof. Anil BhardwajDirector, PRL Ahmedabad
Convenors
- Prof. Sujoy GhoshIIT Kharagpur
- Prof. Saibal GuptaIIT Kharagpur
Co-convenors
- Prof. Kuljeet Kaur MarhasPRL Ahmedabad
- Prof. Dwijesh RayPRL Ahmedabad
Organising committee
- Prof. Rajesh V. J.IIST
- Prof. Ramananda ChakrabartiIISc
- Prof. Nachiketa RaiIIT Roorkee
- Mr. Satadru BhattacharyaSAC
- Dr. Arindam DuttaGSI Kolkata
- Dr. Karanam Kishore KumarSPL
- Dr. Ritesh Kumar MishraAMETEK India
- Prof. Sanghamitra RayIIT Kharagpur
- Prof. Debarati SenIIT Kharagpur
Code of conduct
MetMeSS is committed to a welcoming, harassment-free environment for every participant, regardless of background, career stage or identity.
- Integrity first. Honesty and ethical conduct in research and in scientific discourse are non-negotiable.
- Respect for difference. Treat every participant with professionalism and respect. Harassment, intimidation and abuse of power will not be tolerated.
- Strive for excellence. We hold to the highest standards of scientific inquiry and open knowledge-sharing.
Concerns during the symposium should be raised with any member of the organising committee, or by email to the convenors. Reports are handled confidentially.
Contact
- metmess2026@gmail.com
- Address
- Department of Geology & Geophysics
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Kharagpur 721302, West Bengal, India - Secretariat
- Prof. Sujoy Ghosh and Prof. Saibal Gupta, Convenors