The American Astronomical Society meeting starts here today at the Washington state convention center. They’re handing out perhaps the most useful goodies I’ve ever gotten: a sturdy umbrella. This being Seattle, it is of course raining.

The meeting is joint with the American Association of Physics Teachers, so the usual crowd of typical astronomers is mingling with a younger, more diverse group of educators. As a bonus, the Seattle wedding show is also going on this weekend in the center. So the place is positively buzzing — I’ve yet to see any astronomers slinking over to pick up a killer wedding dress, though.