THE INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) promotes and safeguards the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. The IAU has 11353 members and out of those 73 are National Members. The IAU’s tasks include the organization of scientific meetings; definition of fundamental astronomical and physical constants; unambiguous astronomical nomenclature; promotion of educational activities in astronomy; and conducting informal discussions on the possibilities for ... future international large-scale facilities. The scientific and educational activities of the IAU are organized by its 9 scientific divisions and, through them, its 40 specialized commissions covering the full spectrum of astronomy, along with its 81 working and program groups. The IAU also works to promote astronomical education, research, and public outreach actions. Every year the IAU sponsors nine international IAU Symposia. The IAU Symposium Proceedings series is the flagship of the IAU publications. Every three years the IAU holds a General Assembly, which offers six IAU Symposia, some 25 joint discussions and special sessions, and individual business, and scientific meetings of Divisions, Commissions, and Working groups. The proceedings of joint discussions and special sessions are published in the Highlights of Astronomy series. The reports of the GA business meetings are published in Transactions of the IAU - B series. The International Astronomical Union was founded in 1919 and is based in Paris, France.More