Introduction
------------

The IWCAs and their predecessors, the American Workshops on Cometary Astronomy 
(four AWCAs were held in the United States between 1982 and 1987), were 
established by the ICQ as a forum for bringing amateur and professional 
astronomers together with the goals of 
(1) improving the acquisition of cometary information, 
(2) increasing understanding as to what science can be gained through 
    observing comets by both amateurs and professionals,
(3) providing a forum in which cometary astronomers can meet others from 
    distant geographical locations and discuss various issues. 
This concept was continued for IWCA I (held in February 1994 in Selvino (Italy)
and IWCA II which was held on August 14-16, 1999 in Cambridge (UK) following
the August 11, total eclipse of the Sun. 65 attendees from all over the world,
including 11 comet discoverers and about 1/4th professional astronomers
participated in this meeting.
It was then proposed that the Societe Astronomique de France (SAF) would 
organize the following IWCA III meeting, at a time close to the transit of 
Venus of June 8, 2004 which will be entirely visible from France, weather 
permitting.

Nowadays, electronic and computer technologies as well as medium size 
(10-30 inches) telescopes have become popular and wide spread among amateur 
astronomers. They already play an important role in cometary astronomy,
beyond the discovery of comets. We can mention photometry and astrometry 
of comets as an essential contribution of the amateur community. This has
become a key source of information, on which space mission can sometimes
critically rely.
Given this widespread and amount of important source of data, coordination
between amateur activities and professionals of comet studies has become
essential and the ultimate objectives of these meetings.


Location and meeting schedule 
----------------------------- 
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Day    | Morning      |  Lunch    |  Afternoon            |Dinner | Evening       |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Thursday|               Arrival  of  participants          | Hotel | Informal      | 
| June 3 |                                                  |      |meeting at Hotel|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Friday | Session I at |Meudon Obs.|Session II | visit of  | Hotel | Observations* | 
| June 4 | Meudon Obser.|restaurant | at Meudon | Meudon Obs|       | at Meudon     |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Saturday| Session III  | Buffet at |Session IV | Reception at Paris| Observations* |
| June 5 | Meudon Obser.| Meudon    | at Meudon | Observatory       |visit Paris Obs|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sunday |       -- Free --         | (Conclusion) |    --- Free -- travel ---      |
| June 6 |visit of Paris(restaurants) at Paris Obs.|to Venus transit viewing places |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|(Tuesday June 8 :  5:20 -- 11:24 UT Transit of Venus in front of the Sun           |  
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 * weather permitting

The current plan is to hold the meeting from Friday, June 4 morning till 
Saturday evening for the main sessions, in order to leave time available 
to those travelling to other places to watch the transit of Venus on Tuesday 
June 8 in the morning. Participation in its observation from various places 
in France will be proposed to the participants by the SAF, and Paris observatory.

The meeting will be hosted and supported by Paris and Meudon observatories.
The main scientific sessions are planned for Friday and Saturday at Meudon 
observatory. A concluding Session on Sunday afternoon at Paris observatory
is proposed - Depending on weather forecast and participants travelling plans
to go and see the transit of Venus, this will likely be a limited workshop 
(mostly for SOC members) to work on the IWCAIII conclusion and following steps :
proceedings, future IWCA(s), ...

Lodging for a discount rate (~70 Euros per night w/ breakfast) in one or 
two Hotels will be soon proposed to the participants on the IWCA-SAF
web-page. Transportation by bus to the meeting place and evening activities 
will be likely proposed to the registred partcipants.

No lodging will be available at the place of the scientific session as 
in 1999, but we propose to gather participants at a common place to favour 
follow-up discussions and exchanges. Alternatively, a wide choice of Hotels 
around and inside Paris is available with public transportation to the 
observatories.


Scientific program and call for contribution
--------------------------------------------
We plan on organizing sessions about one given topic around invited talk(s),
contributed talks and panel discussion. Additional poster presentations will
be accepted, on all the various topics concerning comets and amateur comet 
activities.

Oral and poster contributions are solicited. The number of Oral (~15min. talks)
contribution will be limited, and part of the time will be devoted to panel 
discussion and technical workshops. Emphasis will be put on the following topics and 
we ask each contribution to mention which one it is relevant to :

[1] Cometary photometry (m1) and outgassing rates of comets ;
[2] Use of filters and comet spectroscopy ;
[3] Comet astrometry and observation of trans-Neptunian objects by amateurs ;
[4] Discovering comets at the time of automated sky surveys ;
[5] Comet imaging ;
[6] Space missions towards comets ;
[7] Comets on the internet ;
[8] Other

A special issue of "Observations et Travaux" (published by the SAF) will contain
papers written by the SAF comet section members and the abstracts of accepted
contributions to the IWCAIII. We will therefore ask interested participants
to submit a half page (figures are also welcome) abstract (ASCII, latex,
MS-WORD format) before November 30, 2003.

Please send to the SOC (Nicolas.Biver@obspm.fr) the title, the relevant topic
of your contribution and oral or poster wishes as early as possible. 


Pre-registration
----------------
This time a registration fee of around 60 Euros will be ask to every participant
to the meeting, independently of hotel pre-registration. This will cover welcoming
package with abstracts of the meeting, coffe breaks, bus transportation and 
Saturday meals. The fee will be only applicable to person attending the scientific 
sessions.

We ask that any interested participant already contact us (nicolas.Biver@obspm.fr) 
to get informed of the upcoming preparation of the IWCAIII. Specifying planned 
arrival and departure time and wish or not to make a presentation, and topic 
will be appreciated (see above).


Financial support for participants
----------------------------------
A number of participants from Eastern Europe or other countries with limited
financial resources can be supported by the IWCAIII. They should contact the LOC
directly.


Sientific Organizing Committee :
--------------------------------
N. Biver (France)		Nicolas.Biver@obspm.fr
R. Bouma (The Netherlands)
M. Festou (France)
D. Green (USA)
W. Liller (Chile)
A. Maury (Chile/France)
J.C. Merlin (France)
M. Meyer (Germany)
P. Morel (France)
C. Morris (USA)
A. Nakamura (Japan)
A. Pearce (Australia)
J. Shanklin (U.K.)
G. Sostero (Italy)
M. Tichy (Czech Republic)

Local Organizing Committee :
----------------------------
E. Sable (Societe Astronomique de France SAF)
H. Reyss (SAF)
N. Biver (Paris obs. and SAF)
F. Colas (Paris Obs.)
J. Crovisier (Paris Obs. and SAF)
P. Guibert (president of SAF)
R. Marical (SAF)
P. Morel (SAF)
G. Saccomani (SAF)


Weather information :
---------------------
In June, weather is generally warm in Paris region. It can be between 15 and 30 C (60-85 F),
(10-18 C at night), mostly sunny but rain is possible. June is usually one of the nicest month.
[In 2003 it was ~28 C during the day, mostly sunny with sometimes thunderstorms in the evening] 

Nicolas Biver  June, 19, 2003

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