Sent electronically to Individual Members on September 4, 2008
by Karel A. van der Hucht, General Secretary
1. Release of the new IAU web site
2. IAU Information Bulletin 102 online
3.IAU XXVII General Assembly, Rio de Janeiro 2009
4. Resolutions adopted by IAU General Assemblies
5. Commission 41 WG on Astronomy and World Heritage
6. Gruber Cosmology Prize 2008
7. IAU-NASL/KAVLI Agreement
8. IYA2009 Release of new web site
9. IAU Symposia in 2010, Deadlines
10. Invitation to host IAU XXIX General Assembly in 2015
The new IAU web site was launched in April 2008. The system runs on a server at ESO Hq (Garching, Germany), which is kindly sponsoring server space, bandwidth and maintenance. Thanks to our dedicated team at ESO, it has a wealth of new features, an improved structure for all the available information and a highly efficient database interface. Most of the information in the database is searchable on the site (see upper right corner), and members can update their
personal information in a user-friendly fashion.
Email addresses have been manipulated to discourage mass mailers.
The existing usernames and passwords for IAU Individual Members remain valid. If you have forgotten your password, a new one can be requested at <www.iau.org/auth/login>. If you do not know your original email address, please look it up in the Membership Directory: <www.iau.org/administration/membership/individual>.
We plan to enable members to select their own username and password for the IAU web site.
Please also check your IAU Division/Commission membership. If you wish to become a member of a Division/Commission, please contact the president of that IAU Division/Commission.
If you wish to be removed from a Division/Commission, please inform the IAU Secretariat.
We are dedicated to improving further the IAU web site over the next months. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Please send your message to
Mme Vivien A. Reuter,
IAU Executive Assistant <iau@iap.fr>.
IAU Information Bulletin 102 is online. See <https://www.iau.org/static/publications/IB102.pdf>, containing a wealth of information on the preparations for
the IAU XXVII General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro.
Preparations for the IAU XXVII GENERAL ASSEMBLY in Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 August 2009, are progressing. The scientific programme and preliminary practical information are available:
Please note that the Registration Server will go online on
1 November 2008, see <www.astronomy2009.com.br>.
Resolutions adopted by IAU General Assemblies, dating back to 1922, are currently being digitalized and published on the IAU website. The set will soon be completed. See <www.iau.org/administration/resolutions/general_assemblies/>.
IAU Commission 41 on History of Astronomy has issued a call for involvement in a new C41 Working Group on "Astronomy and World Heritage" at IAU web page: <www.iau.org/administration/collaborative_programs/unesco_awhi>.
Although the deadline reads 15 July 2008, please feel free to submit your declaration of interest to participate in this new IAU C41 Working Group to:
Prof. Clive L.N. Ruggles, chair C41
<rug@leicester.ac.uk> and <cliveruggles@btinternet.com>, with a copy to the IAU Secretariat <iau@iap.fr>.
The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation, advised by members of the IAU, has awarded the Gruber Cosmology Prize 2008 to J. Richard Bond (Canada) for his pioneering contributions to our understanding of the development of structures in the
Universe. See <www.iau.org/public_press/news/release/iau0805/> and <www.iau.org/grants_prizes/gruber_foundation/>. The award will be given on 17 September at the Harvard- Smithsonian Center of Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA.
On 29 May in Oslo, at the 84th meeting of the IAU Executive Committee, the President of the IAU signed an Agreement with zhe Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters on involvement of the IAU in the Prize Committee for the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics 2010, and involvement of the NASL in the IAU
International Schools for Young Astronomers programme as of 2009. See: <www.iau.org/public_press/news/release/iau0803> and <www.iau.org/grants_prizes/kavli_prize> .
As of today, 123 National Nodes and 28 organisations have formed committees to prepare activities for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009). These committees are collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers, societies, universities, research institutes, educators, science centres and science communicators.
The IYA2009 is also supported by 11 Global Cornerstone projects, 6 Special Projects and 11 IYA2009 Task Groups. These are global programmes of activities centred on a specific theme and represent the means to achieve the IYA2009’s main goals; whether it is the support and promotion of women in astronomy, the preservation of dark-sky sites around the world or educating and explaining the workings of the Universe to millions, the global projects are the key facets of the success of the IYA2009.
The global coordination of IYA2009 is supported financially by the Organisational Associates and Global Sponsors. We are proud to announce that the ompanies Thales Alenia Space and Celestron are the first IYA2009 Global Sponsors, and that seed funding of parts of the Cornerstones has started.
The IYA2009 is constantly growing: both in the number of people and organisations involved, as well as in the number and quality of resources it makes available to its partners. For more information on the IYA2009 and its worldwide activities, please see the latest version of the IYA2009 brochure, available on the IYA2009 web page <www.astronomy2009.org/resources-mainmenu-47.html>.
A new web site for IYA2009 will be released in September 2008.
Please check: <www.astronomy2009.org>.
Letters-of-Intent for IAU Symposia in 2010 should be submitted to the IAU web page <www.iau.org/science/meetings/proposals/loi/>, before 15 September 2008. See:<www.iau.org/science/meetings/>.
Proposals for IAU Symposia in 2010 should reach the Assistant General Secretary via the IAU web page before the deadline of 1 December 2008.
The IAU Executive Committee solicits proposals for hosting the IAU XXIX General Assembly in July-August 2015. Rules and guidelines are available at:
<www.iau.org/administration/meetings/hosting_ga/>.
Letters-of-Intent, to be sent to Karel A. van der Hucht, IAU General Secretary (<iau@iap.fr>, copy to <k.a.van.der.hucht@sron.nl>),
are welcome before 1 November 2008.
Complete bid books should reach the IAU General Secretary before the deadline of 1 April 2009.