The global astronomy community will meet in Brussels next month to celebrate the founding of the IAU with a flagship event: the International Astronomical Union 1919-2019: 100 Years Under One Sky meeting that will be held on 11–13 April 2019 at the Palace of the Academies.

In 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is celebrating its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the IAU is organising a year-long celebration to highlight the past century of astronomical discoveries as well as to support and improve the use of astronomy as a tool for education, development and diplomacy with the central theme “Under One Sky”.  Activities are taking place at local, regional and global levels, which collectively aim to connect the global astronomical community, national science organisations, societies, policy-makers, students, families and the general public. So far, over 2500 events and activities have been officially registered in more than 100 countries/regions as part of the celebrations. Find more information here.

The International Astronomical Union 1919-2019: 100 Years Under One Sky Flagship Ceremony will take place at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels, Belgium on 11–12 April 2019 and will feature dedicated sessions with high-level representatives and prominent astronomers. A particular focus will be astronomy for diplomacy and peace, development, education, outreach, arts, and its involvement with the high-tech industry. The full event programme can be found here.

Speakers include Nobel Prize Laureates Ben Feringa (Center for Systems Chemistry, University of Groningen) and Brian Schmidt (Australian National University), Chiaki Mukai (JAXA Astronaut and Vice President of Tokyo University of Science), John Grunsfeld (NASA Astronaut), Jean-Eric Paquet (Director General of Research and Innovation for the European Commission), Phil Mjwara (Director General of the Department of Science and Technology of South Africa), Maria Popova (author, BrainPickings.org) and Ewine van Dishoeck (IAU President, Kavli Prize Laureate and Leiden University Professor).

The IAU100 exhibition Above and Beyond, will also be open during the event in Brussels. The exhibition is a modest attempt to navigate through some of the most important and spectacular achievements in modern astronomy, bringing them closer to the public. The travelling exhibition premiered at the IAU General Assembly in Vienna, Austria and has since been touring in its original format visiting various cities throughout Europe.

On Saturday 13 April 2019, the IAU will hold its first event for amateur astronomers. The inspirational full-day programme will include contributions from amateur astronomers, talks about pro-am collaborations and citizen science projects, and renowned scientists involved in hot topics in astronomy. The Flagship event will conclude with public astronomical observations at Brussels city centre.

Overview

• Where: Palace of the Academies, Rue Ducale 1, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
• When: 11–13 April 2019
• What: International Astronomical Union 1919-2019: 100 Years Under One Sky Flagship Ceremony
• Why: The flagship event to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the International Astronomical Union
• Who: High-level representatives of the astronomical community and the International Astronomical Union, decision-makers and prominent young researchers

Press Registration

Bona fide members of the media can register for free and receive free access to all activities of the Under One Sky Event. Please send an email to Jorge Rivero González (rivero@mail.strw.leidenuniv.nl) before Friday 29 March 2019 with the following information:

• Name: ______
• E-Mail: ______
• Phone: ______
• Media Affiliation: ______
• Type of Media: ______
• Arrival Date: ______
• Departure Date: ______

More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 13 500 professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

Links

• IAU100 Official Website

Contacts

Jorge Rivero González
IAU100 Coordinator
Email: rivero@strw.leidenuniv.nl

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 761
Cell: +49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars@eso.org