The University of Hong Kong has secured the right to host the 2028 Magnetospheres of Outer Planets Conference, bringing one of the world’s most important space-physics gatherings to Hong Kong for the first time. The decision, announced after the 2026 conference in Toulouse, France, represents a major achievement for the University and a significant moment for the development of planetary and space sciences across the Asia-Pacific region. The 2028 meeting will be jointly hosted by the Hong Kong Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Laboratory for Space Research at HKU, placing the city at the centre of international discussions about the giant planets and their complex space environments.
The Magnetospheres of Outer Planets Conference, commonly known as MOP, has been held every two years since the 1970s. It is dedicated to the study of the immense magnetic bubbles surrounding planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These magnetospheres are generated largely by planetary magnetic fields and interact continuously with the solar wind, a stream of electrically charged particles flowing from the Sun. The resulting systems are dynamic laboratories for plasma physics, filled with radiation belts, shock waves, auroras, charged particles and turbulent magnetic structures that cannot be reproduced easily on Earth.
The decision followed a strong showing by an HKU delegation at the 2026 MOP Conference in Toulouse, which took place from July 26 to 31. HKU researchers delivered several invited presentations outlining the University’s work in outer-planetary physics and related areas of space research. Their contributions demonstrated the breadth of research being conducted at HKU, from the interpretation of spacecraft measurements to the development of theoretical models describing how charged particles move through planetary magnetic fields. The Hong Kong proposal subsequently received unanimous backing from the conference’s International Scientific Committee and participating delegates.
MOP is regarded as the premier international symposium for scientists investigating the environments of the Solar System’s giant planets. Its attendees include space physicists, planetary scientists, mission specialists and researchers responsible for analysing data returned by some of humanity’s most ambitious robotic explorers. Scientists associated with NASA, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and major universities and research centres worldwide regularly contribute to the conference. By bringing these communities together, MOP provides a rare opportunity to compare observations, refine physical models and identify the scientific questions that future missions should address.
The scientific importance of the conference is closely connected to the unusual physics of planetary magnetospheres. At Jupiter, the largest magnetosphere in the Solar System, the magnetic field extends millions of kilometres into space and traps intense populations of energetic electrons and ions. Material released by the volcanic moon Io is transformed into plasma and becomes incorporated into Jupiter’s rotating magnetic environment. At Saturn, interactions between the magnetosphere, the planet’s rings and its icy moons produce similarly complex effects. Studying these systems helps researchers understand how magnetic fields control the movement of energy and matter around planets, including worlds beyond our Solar System.
Discussions at MOP draw on observations from a succession of landmark missions, including Voyager, Galileo, Cassini and Juno. Future and current missions such as NASA’s Europa Clipper and the European Space Agency’s JUICE mission are expected to provide new information about Jupiter and its moons. Europa Clipper is designed to investigate whether Jupiter’s icy moon Europa possesses conditions that could support life, while JUICE will examine Jupiter and the ocean-bearing moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. The instruments aboard these spacecraft measure magnetic fields, plasma waves, energetic particles, radiation and surface or atmospheric properties, allowing scientists to reconstruct how these distant environments operate.
The 2028 conference is expected to focus strongly on the international roadmap for deep-space exploration during the coming decade. Hundreds of researchers may gather in Hong Kong to examine opportunities for cooperation surrounding major Jupiter missions, including China’s Tianwen-4, NASA’s Europa Clipper and ESA’s JUICE. Coordinating these efforts is scientifically valuable because spacecraft often observe related regions at different times or with different instruments. Joint analysis can reveal connections between a moon’s interior, its surface, its atmosphere and the surrounding plasma environment, producing a far more complete picture than any individual mission could provide.
For HKU, hosting MOP will be more than an opportunity to showcase institutional research. It will also reinforce Hong Kong’s expanding role in astronomy, planetary science and space exploration. The city’s location within the Asia-Pacific scientific network could help strengthen links among universities, space agencies and research institutes throughout the region. The conference is also expected to create opportunities for early-career scientists, engineers and students to meet established researchers and learn about careers involving spacecraft operations, numerical simulation, instrument design, data science and fundamental plasma physics.
The event may prove especially influential for public engagement with science. Space missions to the outer planets often capture global attention because they address questions that combine planetary evolution, extreme physics and the possibility of habitable environments beyond Earth. By bringing researchers behind these missions to Hong Kong, the 2028 MOP Conference can connect cutting-edge scientific work with a broader audience and encourage young people to pursue education in physics, astronomy, engineering and related disciplines. HKU will release further information about the conference dates, venue arrangements and programme committee when preparations advance.
Subject of Research: Planetary magnetospheres, outer-planet space physics, plasma environments and deep-space exploration.
Article Title: University of Hong Kong to Host Landmark 2028 Conference on the Magnetic Worlds of the Outer Planets
Web References: https://lasp.colorado.edu/mop/resources/mop-conference/
Image Credits: The University of Hong Kong
Keywords: Space sciences, astronomy, planetary science, space exploration, space research, magnetospheres, Jupiter, Saturn, Europa Clipper, JUICE, Tianwen-4, plasma physics, University of Hong Kong
