International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (UAI, in French Union astronomique internationale or UAI, in English International Astronomical Union or IAU) is a group of the different national astronomical societies and constitutes the international decision-making body in the field of the definitions of names of planets and other celestial objects as well as the standards in astronomy. It was created in 1919 from the union of different organizations such as the Bureau International de l'Heure, the Carte du Ciel and the Solar Union. Its first president was Benjamin Baillaud. Its objective is to promote and coordinate international cooperation in astronomy and the development of nomenclature rules for different celestial bodies.
IAU working groups also include The Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), which establishes nomenclature for planetary bodies and astronomical naming conventions.
In 2015, the UAI had 12,450 individual members, mainly astronomy professionals with a doctoral degree, and 74 national members, that is, countries affiliated with the UAI. 84% of its members are male and 16% female members. The current president of the UAI is Ewine F. van Dishoeck (2018-2021) and the Portuguese astronomer Teresa Lago serves as Secretary General of the institution for the same three-year period.
Main subdisciplines
The UAI coordinates 9 divisions, 38 commissions and 45 working groups on different astronomical topics.
| Division | Discipline |
|---|---|
| Division A | Fundamental astronomy. |
| Division B | Facilities, Technology and Data Science. |
| Division C | Education, Outreach and Heritage. |
| Division D | Phenomenon of high energies and Fundamental Physics. |
| Division E | Sun and heliosphere. |
| Division F | Planetary systems and Astrobiology. |
| Division G | Star and Star Physics. |
| Division H | Interstellar Matter and Local Universe. |
| Division J | Galaxy and Cosmology. |
General Assemblies
The UAI General Assembly meets every three years. The encounters include:
| Assembly | Year | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| I General Assembly of IAU | 1922 |  Rome, Italy
|
| II General Assembly of IAU | 1925 | .svg){kind=small} Cambridge, United Kingdom
|
| III General Assembly of IAU | 1928 |  Leiden, Netherlands
|
| IV General Assembly of IAU | 1932 |  Cambridge, Estados Unidos
|
| V UAI General Assembly | 1935 | .svg){kind=small} Paris, France
|
| VI General Assembly of IAU | 1938 |  Stockholm, Sweden
|
| VII General Assembly of IAU | 1948 |  Zurich, Switzerland
|
| VIII General Assembly of IAU | 1952 | Rome, Italy
|
| IX UAI General Assembly | 1955 |  Dublin, Ireland
|
| X UAI General Assembly | 1958 |  Moscow, Soviet Union
|
| XI General Assembly of IAU | 1961 | Berkeley, United States
|
| XII General Assembly of IAU | 1964 |  Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany
|
| XIII UAI General Assembly | 1967 |  Prague, Czechoslovakia
|
| XIV General Assembly of IAU | 1970 | Brighton, United Kingdom
|
| XV General Assembly of IAU | 1973 | .svg){kind=small} Sydney, Australia
|
| Extraordinary General Assembly of IAU1 | 1973 |  Warsaw, Poland
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| XVI General Assembly of IAU | 1976 | Grenoble, France
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| XVII General Assembly of IAU | 1979 |  Montreal, Canada
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| XVIII General Assembly of the UAI | 1982 |  Patras, Greece
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| XIX UAI General Assembly | 1985 |  New Delhi, India
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| XX UAI General Assembly | 1988 | Baltimore, United States
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| XXI General Assembly of IAU | 1991 |  Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| XXII General Assembly of IAU | 1994 | The Hague, Netherlands
|
| XXIII General Assembly of IAU | 1997 |  Kyoto, Japan
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| XXIV UAI General Assembly | 2000 | Manchester, United Kingdom
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| XXV UAI General Assembly | 2003 | Sydney, Australia
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| XXVI General Assembly of IAU | 2006 | Prague, Czech Republic
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| XXVII General Assembly of IAU | 2009 |  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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| XXVIII UAI General Assembly | 2012 |  Beijing, China
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| XXIX UAI General Assembly | 2015 | Honolulu, United States
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| XXX General Assembly of IAU | 2018 |  Vienna, Austria
|
1 Held to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Nicholas Copernicus.