In issue 10 of the IAU Catalyst, the first edition of this year, we offer a glimpse of what the IAU community can expect in 2024, as well as reviewing some of the highlights of 2023. Looking forward to the XXXII IAU General Assembly, IAU president Debra Elmegreen extends a warm invitation for us all to ‘Come to the General Assembly in Cape Town!’, while Kevin Govender, Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the event, gives us important updates on ‘Embracing a New Era at IAU General Assembly 2024 in Africa’. Piero Benvenuti also provides ‘A Message from the New Interim General Secretary’.

Elsewhere in the issue, Ignacio Ferreras, Commission J1 Secretary, discusses the new series of online talks on Galaxy Spectral Energy Distributions. For this edition’s Science Focus, Alemiye Mamo, Chair of the IAU Symposium 386, presents an overview of The IAU Symposium 386 on ‘Dark Sky and Astronomical Heritage in Boosting Astro-tourism Around the Globe’ Report.

The edition also includes ‘Highlights on the IAU Inter-Commission B2-B5 Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics Data Compilation, Validation and Standardisation: from the Laboratory to FAIR Usage in the Astronomical Community’, provided by Marie-Lise Dubernet, Chair of the IAU Inter-Commission B2-B5 WG and Fatemeh Tabatabaei, Chair of the Scientific Organising Committee for IAU/I-HOW Radio Astronomy 2023: A Joint Iran and Turkey Hands-on Workshop in Radio Astronomy.

Additionally, readers can hear from Anna Christoforidou, Outreach Manager of the International Association of Physics Students (IAPS), and Jan Scharf, IAU-IAPS Liaison Officer, about the IAPS-OAD Partnership in Advancing Astronomy for Mental Health.

These are just some of the highlights from across IAU Scientific Bodies and Offices that are contained in this issue of the IAU Catalyst. The editors would like to thank the more than 25 authors and co-authors who contributed to the 17 articles presented in this edition.

The issue also includes information on IAU publications, dates and deadlines.

The Catalyst is issued twice a year as an electronic-only bulletin. We hope you enjoy reading it and encourage both IAU members and the wider IAU community to get involved in future issues by submitting news and contributions about events or topics that you consider relevant to IAU members.

Previous issues of the IAU Catalyst are also available on the IAU website.

More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 12 000 active 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

• IAU Catalyst 10 (PDF 23 MB)

Contacts

Debra Elmegreen
IAU President
Email: elmegreen@vassar.edu 

Piero Benvenuti
IAU General Secretary
Email: IAU-general.secretary@iap.fr

Lina Canas
IAU Membership Coordinator
Email: lina.canas@iap.fr

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Director of Communications
Cell: +1 520 461 0433/+49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars.christensen@noirlab.edu