International Astronomical Union facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
International Astronomical Union (IAU)

Union astronomique internationale (UAI)
National members from 85 countries as of May 2023      Member states     States with interim status     Observer states     Suspended states
Formation	28 July 1919; 105 years ago (28 July 1919)
Founded at	Brussels, Belgium
Headquarters	Paris, France
Membership	85 national members 12,131 individual members
President	Debra Meloy Elmegreen
General Secretary	Piero Benvenuti

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is a special group that helps advance astronomy around the world. It's like a global club for scientists who study space. The IAU works to promote space research, teach people about the universe, and help countries work together.

This organization started in 1919 and has its main office in Paris, France. It includes both professional astronomers and younger scientists. It also has national members, which are groups from different countries. As of 2018, the IAU had over 13,700 individual members from 90 countries.

One of the most important things the IAU does is give official names to astronomical objects. This includes stars, planets, and asteroids. They also set clear rules for how we define things in space. The IAU also holds meetings and conferences to share new discoveries. They work with groups like UNESCO to achieve their goals.

What the IAU Does

The International Astronomical Union is a worldwide group of professional astronomers. These are scientists who have studied astronomy at a high level. They do research and teach others about space.

A key job of the IAU is to officially name celestial bodies and their features. This means they decide the names for planets, stars, asteroids, and even mountains or craters on other worlds. The IAU is part of the International Science Council (ISC). Its main goal is to help astronomy grow through teamwork between countries.

The IAU has many smaller groups that focus on specific tasks. For example, the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) creates rules for naming planets and their features. The Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) keeps a list of star names. The IAU also helps send out important news about new discoveries through astronomical telegrams. The Minor Planet Center also works under the IAU. It keeps track of all the small objects in our Solar System that aren't planets or moons.

How the IAU Started

The IAU was created on July 28, 1919. This happened at a meeting in Brussels, Belgium. At the same time, two smaller groups were formed. One was for keeping track of time, and the other was for sending out astronomy news.

The first seven countries to join were Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, Greece, Japan, and the United States. Soon after, Italy and Mexico also joined. The first leaders of the IAU included scientists from France, the UK, the US, Belgium, and Italy. They set up 32 smaller groups to work on different topics, from relativity to small planets. The first big meeting of the IAU happened in Rome, Italy, in 1922.

By the end of that first meeting, ten more countries had joined. This brought the total to 19 countries. Even though the IAU started after World War I, astronomers had already been working together for a long time. For example, they had projects to map the sky and study the Sun.

The IAU has also held special contests. In 2015 and 2019, they ran the NameExoWorlds contests. These allowed people to suggest names for planets found outside our solar system. Starting in 2024, the IAU will work with the United Nations. They will help create rules for using resources on the Moon.

Who is in the IAU

The IAU includes member organizations from 82 countries (designated as national members).

As of August 1, 2019, the IAU has over 13,700 individual members. These are professional astronomers from 102 countries. About 18% of these members are women.

The IAU also has 82 national members. These are groups that represent their country's astronomers. Examples include the Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Astronomical Society in the United Kingdom.

The main decision-making body of the IAU is its General Assembly. All members can attend this meeting. The Assembly decides the IAU's rules and chooses its leaders.

When it comes to voting, there are different rules.

• For scientific topics, only individual members can vote.
• For other matters, like changing rules or money issues, only representatives from national members can vote.

For money matters, a country's vote counts more if they contribute more money. To make a decision on non-scientific topics, at least two-thirds of the national members must be present. Most votes need a simple majority to pass. However, changing the main rules needs a two-thirds majority. If there's a tie, the President of the IAU makes the final decision.

Countries that are National Members

Past National Members

•  Azerbaijan
•  Cuba
•  Macedonia
•  Uzbekistan

General Assemblies (Big Meetings)

The IAU holds a big meeting called the General Assembly every three years. These meetings have happened since 1922, except for the years between 1938 and 1948 because of World War II.

In 1973, there was a special extra meeting in Warsaw, Poland. This was to celebrate the 500th birthday of Nicolaus Copernicus, a famous astronomer.

Presidents of the IAU

Here is a list of the people who have led the IAU as President:

Teaching Astronomy

Commission 46 is a special group within the IAU. It focuses on helping countries improve their astronomy education. The IAU works with the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). This group encourages countries to join the IAU.

Commission 46 also works to share information and improve how astronomy is taught. One program is called Teaching Astronomy for Development (TAD). It helps countries that don't have much astronomy education. Another program is the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP). This project helps teachers learn how to use astronomy tools in their classrooms. It also focuses on teaching kids about space to help global development.

See also

In Spanish: Unión Astronómica Internacional para niños

• Astronomical acronyms
• Astronomical naming conventions
• List of proper names of stars
• Planetary nomenclature