SKAO Meeting 2026
2026-04-16 - Please do not edit this page for the next few days, as any edits maybe overwritten. (Stuart Mumford)
- Key Information
- Travel & Accommodation
- Participating in Person
- Participating Remotely
- Participants
- Agenda
- Local Restaurants
- Code of Conduct
- SOC
- LOC
This meeting is directed especially to maintainers and active developers for Astropy core library, Coordinated and Affiliated packages, infrastructure, tutorials, workshops, and/or governance.
Host: SKA Observatory (SKAO) @ Jodrell Bank
Dates: 21-25 September 2026 (exact start/end TBD)
Venue: SKA Observatory, Jodrell Bank, Lower Withington, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9FT, UK
Timezone: British Summer Time (BST, UTC + 1)
If you need financial assistance to attend the meeting, please submit a request to the Finance Committee. However, due to limited resources, we might not be able to accommodate all requests.
The SKAO HQ is based on the Jodrell Bank Observatory grounds, but the SKAO entrance is different to the visitor centre, so ignore the brown “Jodrell Bank” signs. We are directly off the main A535, there are a signs quoting ‘SKA Staff Access’ which indicate the SKAO entrance, which is located within the 30mph Jodrell Bank zone. Proceed up the lane to the barrier. Press the buzzer, for assistance/access. Go diagonally through the ‘compound’, and through a white gate, and follow the road, in a clockwise direction, around the green. You will see the sign directing you into the SKAO GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS car park, located on your left hand side. Please ensure that you sign in and out with reception. Details can be found on map at SKAO GHQ access map.pdf
Please follow the link to complete the form so we can supply you with a letter of invitation in support of your visa request. Please note that the requested information in the form MUST be included; Please note that they are coming to you via Adobesign so please check your junk folders. Required visa information https://forms.gle/uKeGs4GZ8mJtrd527 Please be aware of timeframes as some places are taking 12 weeks to process visa requests.
- Parking is available on a first come-first serve basis.
- There are several car parks situated around key points within the SKAO Building, the largest being upon entrance to the site in front of the SKAO building. The car park locations are indicated in grey on the map.
- Disabled car parking spaces are available in front of the main Reception, the bays for which are clearly marked. Disabled parking permits must always be displayed when using these bays.
- Overflow parking is available at the South end of site.
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The SKAO Global Headquarters is located on the Jodrell Bank Observatory site in Cheshire (SK11 9FT). Because there are no direct public transport links to the site, visitors typically travel via nearby towns, with Macclesfield—on the West Coast Mainline—serving as the most convenient major transport hub.
By Car
- From Manchester (approx. 20-25 miles): Take the A5103 south, then follow the M56 and A535 directly to the site.
- Parking: Enter via the A535 and follow the signs marked "SKA Staff Access" into the site.
By Train & Taxi (Public Transport)
- Nearest major station: Macclesfield Station is roughly 9 miles away (a 15–20 minute drive). It features a direct taxi rank right outside the main exit.
- Nearest local station: Goostrey Station is closer (approx. 2.5 miles) but requires a long walk along country lanes; you should pre-book a local taxi (such as Goostrey Taxis: 01477 535060).
By Air
- Manchester Airport (MAN): This is the nearest international hub, located approximately 15 miles (30 minutes by taxi) from the headquarters. If you are travelling locally, the most convenient car hire companies are Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Europcar, and Arnold Clark, which all operate branches within a 20-to-30 minute drive of the site.
Major suppliers servicing the wider North West region and nearby airports include:
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Available in nearby Macclesfield and Crewe. They offer a free customer collection service from local stations. Compare fleets on the Enterprise Rent-A-Car website.
- Europcar: Available in nearby Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester. Book or find a branch via Europcar UK.
- Arnold Clark: A widely used option with a branch in nearby Stafford.
- Avis & Budget: Major operators with pick-up hubs at Manchester Airport (MAN), which is the most convenient international arrival point.
- You can compare daily rates and availability across all suppliers using the Skyscanner Staffordshire portal.
A range of Hotels are available in the area. Wilmslow and Alderley Edge are popular towns given the range of restaurants available in those areas.
The preferred hotel for this meeting is the Wilmslow lodge, this will allow easier carpooling between participants.
| Hotel | Location | Price Range(High/Medium/Low) | Website/Contact email |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmslow Lodge | Wilmslow | Medium | https://www.thecoachandfour.co.uk/accommodation/ |
Other accommodation options are available in the nearby area at:
Wilmslow offers a diverse, upscale dining scene ranging from Italian classics to contemporary British gastropubs. Top spots include Piccolino for high-end Italian on Tripadvisor and Piccolino Restaurants, Cibo for authentic Italian finesse Cibo Restaurant Wilmslow, and Browns Brasserie & Bar on Browns for European classics. The town features a wide variety of cuisines. The most popular local restaurants include:
- Piccolino Grande (Swan St): Refurbished Italian restaurant with a winterized Tuscan terrace and a new 'Con Amici' small plates bar.
- Jerk Junction (Water Ln): Popular for authentic Caribbean street food, including jerk chicken and curry goat.
- Suburban Green (Hawthorn Ln): Urban retreat offering small plates, craft beers, and cocktails in a stylish setting.
- Sip 'n' Spice (Water Ln): Features elevated Indian fine dining and brunch with unique twists.
- Unico Lounge (Grove St): Relaxed café/bar with a large gluten-free and vegan menu, great for casual dining.
- Cibo Gran Café (Grove Arcade): All-day Italian spot in an elegant arcade setting, offering pastries, coffee, and afternoon tea.
- Hickory's Smokehouse (Racecourse Rd): Family-friendly American BBQ with 16-hour smoked meats, a garden, and a dedicated kids' cinema.
- Coach & Four (Alderley Rd): Historic pub offering a traditional British menu with a beer garden.
- Fire Station Social Cucina (London Rd - former Gusto): A new 150-guest Italian restaurant specializing in Neapolitan pizzas and Sunday roasts.
- Baby Barbakan (Moor Ln): A new bakery offering artisan loaves and deli items from the famous Chorlton bakery.
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☕ Morning check list for moderators:
- Host to make all SOC members co-hosts.
- Moderator to remind everyone to:
- Use "raise hand" ✋ when they need to speak or ask questions.
- Mute ❌🎤 when not speaking.
- Help out with crowd-source meeting notes.
- For fleeting discussions not suitable to be recorded in meeting notes, Slack is preferred over Zoom chat.
- Be patient as we figure out any difficulties that might occur.
- Moderator should not be shy to enforce time limits on speakers and sessions. Unfortunately, there is no good way to do this other than interrupting the speaker verbally.
- Host and co-host to help people with breakout rooms, as needed.
- On the days when this is applicable, moderator needs to remind everyone in breakout rooms to regroup at the end.
Join the Astropy Slack workspace here.
Te channels #meeting2026-main has been created for this meeting. This is also reachable via a shared channel on the SKAO slack workspace at #meet-astropy-2026-collaboration.
New meeting-specific channels can be created as required; please name them #meeting2026-... for ease of discoverability.
Other non-meeting specific channels are also available for use in the workspace.
Please note that Slack is not a place to keep permanent records; if important topics are discussed, please ensure the outcomes are recorded somewhere more appropriate.
No dedicated mailing list is available.
If needed, use the astropy-dev mailing list but prepend "Coordination Meeting 2026:" before the actual subject line text.
If you are not on this list, but plan to attend, please contact the SOC if necessary. Note: These are registered participants, not a record of actual participation.
- Julian Harbeck (remote or in person)
- Stuart Mumford
- Clément Robert
- Moritz Günther (remote)
- Kyle Westfell
- Timothy Pickering
- Marten van Kerkwijk (remote)
- Brett Morris (remote)
- Tom Aldcroft
- Matt Craig
- Thomas Robitaille
- Larry Bradley (remote)
- Clara Brasseur
- Hannu Parviainen
- Brigitta Sipőcz
- Stuart Littlefair
- Benjamin Weaver (remote)
- Adam Ginsburg (remote)
- Dave Shupe (remote)
- Kelle Cruz (remote)
- Leo Singer (remote)
- Adrian Price-Whelan
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This meeting will be governed by the Astropy Code of Conduct. Our goal is to keep ours a positive, successful, and growing community.
Please report violations to any member of the SOC or Ombudsperson.
- Tom Aldcroft (CfA)
- Aarya Patil (MPIA)
- Hannu Parviainen (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias)
- Kyle Westfall (UC Observatories)
- Stuart Mumford (Aperio)
- Tom Robitaille (Aperio)
- Stuart Mumford (Aperio)
- Tom Robitaille (Aperio)
- Stuart Littlefair (Sheffield)
- Rhian Beer (SKAO)
- Marco Bartolini (SKAO) (Back to top)