Latest International Astronomical Union Stories
April Flowers for redOrbit.com -- Your Universe Online Recently, the MESSENGER Science Team proposed names for 10 rupes on Mercury. The International Astronomical Union (IAU), which has been the arbiter of planetary and satellite nomenclature since 1919, approved the names. In keeping with the theme of naming rupes on Mercury, they all bear the names of ships of discovery. Rupes is the Latin word for cliff, which perfectly suits the formations on Mercury. They are long cliff-like...
Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Uwingu announced on Wednesday the launch of the world's first "Adopt-a-Planet" campaign, allowing the public an opportunity to adopt planets. The space company's new open-ended campaign allows the public to adopt exoplanets in astronomical databases through Uwingu's website. The campaign coincides with its other campaign aimed at naming a planet. Uwingu has asked participants to vote on names for exoplanets, which costs money....
International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding at UNESCO’s Headquarters. The agreement has been concluded in the framework of the thematic initiative Astronomy and World Heritage, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. The purpose of the initiative is to reinforce the links between science and culture by highlighting the importance of heritage linked to astronomy. The participants at the...
Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online A few months ago, a new space website opened up its doors for the public to start selecting the names of other planets. Now, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has stepped up and pointed out this isn't exactly the protocol for the scientific process of naming cosmic bodies. Over 800 planets have been detected outside the Solar System so far, and thousands more are still waiting to be confirmed. Recently, the website Uwingu...
Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online Mercury has gained a little more fame in the eyes of Hollywood, after the International Astronomical Union (IAU) agreed to name nine impact craters after Walt Disney. The MESSENGER Science Team proposed nine names for impact craters on Mercury, all of which refer to either a blues singer, animation pioneer Walter Elias "Walt" Disney, or other artists. IAU has been the gatekeeper for planetary and satellite nomenclature since 1919,...
On August 29th, the lights went off and the stars turned on during a special event at Beijing Planetarium. As part of the meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), Dr. Malcolm Smith, National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) was honored for his long and substantial contributions to light pollution abatement on behalf of astronomical observatories and the community at large. Dr. David Silva (NOAO Director) and Bob Parks (International Dark-Sky Association Executive Director)...
Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online Astronomers working with NASA’s Kepler mission have found the first evidence of multiple planets orbiting a binary star system. The discovery shows that planetary systems can form and survive in chaotic environments around a binary star system. Furthermore, the discovery suggests that earth-like planets can also exist in the habitable zone of their stars. The discovery was announced this week at the XXVIII General Assembly of...
Buildings and monuments relating to astronomy throughout the ages stand as a tribute to the diverse and often complex ways in which people have rationalized the cosmos and framed their actions in accordance with their understanding of it. This includes, but is by no means restricted to, the development of modern science. The importance of the sky in human heritage was recognized by UNESCO when it established its Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative in 2003, and in 2008 it signed a...
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recently approved a proposal from the MESSENGER Science Team to confer names on 10 impact craters on Mercury. The newly named craters were imaged during the mission's three flybys of Mercury in January and October 2008 and September 2009.The IAU has been the arbiter of planetary and satellite nomenclature since its inception in 1919. In keeping with the established naming theme for craters on Mercury, all of the craters are named after famous...
The IAU XXVIIth General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil had its Closing Ceremony today, Thursday 13 August 2009, after two busy weeks. The General Assembly was, as anticipated, a great success, with 2109 registered attendees from all around the world, including more than 80 members of the press. The participants attended six Symposia, sixteen Joint Discussions and ten Special Sessions and heard a balanced mix of review talks and cutting-edge presentations given by astronomers.The General...
