International Astronomical Union

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
Formation28 July 1919; 104 years ago (28 July 1919)
Founded atBrussels, Belgium
HeadquartersParis, France
Membership
85 national members[1]
12,131 individual members[2]
President
Debra Meloy Elmegreen
General Secretary
Piero Benvenuti[3]
Websitewww.iau.org Edit this at Wikidata

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is an international group that brings together the national astronomical groups from around the world. It was created in 1919. It was created to promote and protect the science of astronomy by getting different nations to work together. Its members are professional astronomers from all over the world, and they all work on research and education in astronomy. The IAU has good relationships with groups that include amateur astronomers. "National Members" are usually people with a high level of professional astronomy. There are more than 10,000 active "Individual Members" in 107 countries.[4] It has 62 "National Members".[5]

This organization has many working groups like the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), which maintains the astronomical naming conventions and planetary nomenclature for planetary bodies, and the Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) for naming stars.

The IAU is also the group in charge of naming objects in space and anything on them such as mountains and craters.

References

  1. ↑ "National Members".
  2. ↑ "Geographical and Gender Distribution of Individual Members".
  3. ↑ "International Astronomical Union | IAU". www.iau.org. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "International Astronomical Union | IAU". www.iau.org. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  5. ↑ "IAU Secretariat." International Astronomical Union. "Address: IAU - UAI Secretariat 98-bis Blvd Arago F–75014 PARIS FRANCE" and "The IAU Secretariat is located in the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, 2nd floor, offices n°270, 271 and 283."

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