Commissions

Activities in the various astronomical sub-disciplines are mostly conducted by Commissions, coordinated through the IAU Scientific Divisions, steering the activities and evolution of one or more IAU Commissions.

The list below is that of the current Commissions,  as approved by the Executive Committee (EC95, Padova, April 15-17, 2015) and presented at the XXIXth General Assembly in Honolulu. Please find the list of past Commissions here.

In this list the Commissions are grouped by their status with respect to Divisions:

  • Regular Commissions
  • Inter-Division Commissions
  • Cross-Division Commissions

Individual and Junior Members of the Union may join or leave a Commission at any time, while belonging to no more than three Commissions (four if one falls under Divisions B or C). They should notify the relevant Commission Secretary and the IAU Secretariat.

Please find in the Statutes, the Terms of Reference for Commissions here.

The Bye-Laws and Working Rules also have pertinent information on the Commissions.

A document with some of the duties of Commission Presidents can be found here.

Regular Commissions

Commission Name Parent Division
A1 Astrometry Division A Fundamental Astronomy
A2 Rotation of the Earth Division A Fundamental Astronomy
A3 Fundamental Standards Division A Fundamental Astronomy
B1 Computational Astrophysics Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science
B2 Data and Documentation Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science
B3 Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science
B4 Radio Astronomy Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science
B5 Laboratory Astrophysics Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science
B6 Astronomical Photometry and Polarimetry Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science
C1 Astronomy Education and Development Division C Education, Outreach and Heritage
C2 Communicating Astronomy with the Public Division C Education, Outreach and Heritage
C3 History of Astronomy Division C Education, Outreach and Heritage
C4 World Heritage and Astronomy Division C Education, Outreach and Heritage
D1 Gravitational Wave Astrophysics Division D High Energy Phenomena and Fundamental Physics
E1 Solar Radiation and Structure Division E Sun and Heliosphere
E2 Solar Activity Division E Sun and Heliosphere
E3 Solar Impact Throughout the Heliosphere Division E Sun and Heliosphere
F1 Meteors, Meteorites and Interplanetary Dust Division F Planetary Systems and Astrobiology
F2 Exoplanets and the Solar system Division F Planetary Systems and Astrobiology
F3 Astrobiology Division F Planetary Systems and Astrobiology
F4 Asteroids, Comets & Transneptunian Objects Division F Planetary Systems and Astrobiology
G1 Binary and Multiple Star Systems Division G Stars and Stellar Physics
G2 Massive Stars Division G Stars and Stellar Physics
G3 Stellar Evolution Division G Stars and Stellar Physics
G4 Pulsating Stars Division G Stars and Stellar Physics
G5 Stellar and Planetary Atmospheres Division G Stars and Stellar Physics
H1 The Local Universe Division H Interstellar Matter and Local Universe
H2 Astrochemistry Division H Interstellar Matter and Local Universe
J3 Galaxies at the Epoch of Reionisation Division J Galaxies and Cosmology

Inter-Division Commissions

Commission Name Primary Division Parent Division(s)
A4 Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy A A , F
B7 Protection of Existing and Potential Observatory Sites B B , C
E4 Impact of Magnetic Activity on Solar and Stellar Environments E E , F , G
H3 Planetary Nebulae H G , H
H4 Stellar Clusters H G , H , J
J1 Galaxy Spectral Energy Distributions J D , G , H , J
J2 Intergalactic Medium J B , H , J

Cross-Division Commissions

Commission Name Parent Divisions
X1 Supermassive Black Holes, Feedback and Galaxy Evolution D , J
X2 Solar System Ephemerides A , F

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