IAU Symposium – The Hidden Beauty of the Galactic Outskirts

The IAU Symposium ‘The Hidden Beauty of the Galactic Outskirts’ aims to bring together experts in galaxy formation and evolution to discuss the latest research, challenges, and future directions in the field. The symposium will take place in the historic city of Córdoba, Spain, from October 6-10, 2025.

Córdoba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a rich cultural and historical backdrop for this prestigious event. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the city’s stunning architecture, including the famous Mosque-Cathedral, and enjoy its vibrant cultural scene. The symposium will provide a platform for scientists to share their latest findings, foster new collaborations, and inspire future research.

The event is expected to attract around 150 participants from various countries, creating a diverse and dynamic environment for knowledge exchange. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics, from tidal streams and the disruption of satellite galaxies to the role of dark matter in galaxy formation. With a programme designed to encourage in-depth discussions and collaborative opportunities, this symposium promises to be a milestone event in the field.

Abstract: 

The Golden Age for low surface brightness Universe studies has begun. Data from the many ongoing and future ground-based surveys like DESI, LSST, and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and space missions like Euclid or ARRAKIHS (First Spanish-led ESA mission), will open the door to discoveries on the history of formation and evolution of galaxies and, most probably, to constrain the nature of Dark Matter.

These data allow researchers to test models of galaxy formation that remained theoretical for many years. Studying the formation of galaxies through the analysis of faint structures in local galaxies’ outskirts can shed some light on the process of galaxy assembly and on the nature of the matter that rules the gravitational collapse of early Universe structures, the dark matter.

This symposium will bring together experts on galaxy formation and evolution to identify current challenges in this research field, report recent results and discoveries, and define future science avenues. The main objective is to enrich the current ongoing discussions on the interpretation of the new data, to detect synergies among research groups, and to trigger the forging of new international collaborations.