For the first time in its 105-year history, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly will take place on the African continent. From August 6-15, Cape Town will host over 2,000 professional astronomers from 82 countries for the world’s largest international gathering of astronomers and researchers.
This 2024 General Assembly represents a significant milestone, highlighting Africa’s growing role in the global astronomical community and its potential for major contributions to astronomical research and development. The event, hosted by the National Research Foundation with support from the Department of Science and Innovation and the African Astronomical Society, will also mark a first for the IAU by opening select sessions to the public. These sessions will be available for live viewing or as pre-recorded videos on YouTube.
The IAU, with over 12,000 active professional astronomers from more than 100 countries, promotes all aspects of astronomy, including research, communication, education, and development, through international cooperation. The organization is also the recognized authority for classifying and naming celestial bodies.
The General Assembly will feature advancements in various fields, such as rewriting the history of the universe with images from the James Webb Space Telescope, discovering exoplanets, protecting dark skies from light pollution, and leveraging astronomy for global development.
Notable attendees include Dr. Sian Proctor, the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft and mission pilot for Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital mission. Dr. Proctor will present a public talk and Q&A session at the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) on August 7 from 7:30 to 9:30 PM. Dr. Brian Schmidt, who won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the universe’s accelerating expansion, will also be present.
Leading astronomical observatories and space agencies, including the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the USA’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and several South African agencies, will exhibit at the CTICC throughout the event.
Article by RB Reporter
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