The SDSS-V Local Volume Mapper (LVM) Science Meeting 2026 is an international scientific gathering aimed at bringing together the global collaboration working on the Local Volume Mapper, a key component of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V (SDSS-V) devoted to mapping using 3D spectroscopy of ionized gas and the diffuse interstellar medium in the local Universe.

This meeting comes at a pivotal stage in the project’s development: after several years of intensive instrumental work and commissioning, by 2026 approximately 60% of the planned survey will have been completed, and both the data reduction and analysis pipelines (DRP and DAP) will be fully operational. This milestone opens an ideal window for early and broad scientific exploitation of the dataset.

The primary purpose of the event is to foster coordination, discussion, and strategic planning among teams involved in LVM data acquisition, reduction, and scientific analysis, while also engaging external researchers interested in the physics of the interstellar medium, star formation, stellar feedback, and galaxy evolution. The meeting seeks to consolidate efforts, present initial scientific results, and define the next steps for maximizing the scientific return of this unprecedented mapping effort.

Co-organized by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), the University of La Laguna, and the Institute of Astronomy of UNAM, with support from partner institutions, the meeting will follow a hybrid format (in-person and online) to ensure broad international participation. Approximately 40–50 participants are expected onsite in La Laguna, with a similar number joining remotely. The program will combine plenary sessions, focused working groups, and structured discussions.

In addition to the scientific sessions, complementary activities such as a visit to the Teide Observatory  that will foster informal interaction and collaboration among participants.

By strengthening scientific ties and preparing the ground for future initiatives, including potential developments such as the Local Group Explorer (LGE) and expansion of mapping efforts to the northern hemisphere, this meeting represents a key milestone in advancing wide-field integral field spectroscopic studies of the nearby Universe.