The International Astronomical Union

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The International Astronomical Union Programs
for supporting the teaching of astronomy in
developing countries Thailand and Laos January
2007 John Hearnshaw University of Canterbury, New
Zealand Chair of IAU Comm. 46 Program Group for
the Worldwide Development of Astronomy
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Mt John location where are we?

• On the SW shore of
• Lake Tekapo
• Mackenzie basin
• The geometrical centre
• of the South Island
• Latitude 43º 59.2' S
• Longitude 170º 27.9' E
• Altitude 1032 m
• above sea level

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The observatory from the air
Mt John as seen from a hang-glider, looking north
over Lake Alexandrina. The 1-m telescope is in
the foreground.
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The McLellan 1-m reflector
The McLellan telescopes dome is 8 m in diameter.
The telescope was installed in 1986.
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The McLellan 1-metre telescope
Testing on campus 1985 After installation MJ
1986
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MOAtel completed October 2004
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MOAtel the telescope on opening day, 1 December
2004
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• IAU International Astronomical Union
• Founded 1919
• Head office/secretariat in Paris
• Holds General Assemblies every three years
• Sponsors other conferences
• regional meetings
• symposia
• colloquia

Orion nebula
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• IAU members
• 65 adhering countries (incl. Thailand from 2006)
• about 9100 individual members
• The adhering countries pay membership dues
• from their national academies to the IAU,
• depending on country size and number of
• astronomers.
• Individual membership is free, but restricted
• to professional astronomers (normally about
• 3 years since PhD and active in research/teaching)

spiral galaxy NGC 1232
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IAU executive committee
The committee comprises President Catherine
Cesarsky (France, ESO) General Secretary Karel
van der Hucht (Netherlands) President-elect
Robert Williams (USA) Assistant general
secretary Ian Corbett
(Germany, ESO) Six vice
presidents (from Brazil, China,
Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, USA) Two
advisors (from Australia and Norway)
north polar star trails
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IAU Divisions
The IAU has 12 Scientific Divisions
Division I Fundamental Astronomy
Division II Sun and Heliosphere
Division III Planetary Systems Sciences
Division IV Stars Division V
Variable Stars Division VI
Interstellar Matter Division VII
Galactic System Division VIII
Galaxies and the Universe Division
IX Optical and Infrared Techniques
Division X Radio Astronomy Division
XI Space and High Energy Astrophysics
Division XII Union-Wide Activities
Mt John Observatory, New Zealand 1-metre telescope
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Commissions and working groups (or program groups)

• The IAU has 37 specialized commissions.
• Several commissions are grouped together
• in each Division.
• Each covers one particular branch of astronomy
• The commissions may have working groups or
• program groups responsible for particular
  tasks
• within that branch of astronomy.

60-cm telescope at Mt John, New Zealand
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IAU Commission 46 Astronomy Education and
Development

• Commision 46 is within Division XII for Union-
• wide matters.
• Comm. 46 president Magda Stavinschi (Romania)
• Commission 46 has nine program groups
• World-wide Development of Astronomy (WWDA)
• Teaching Astronomy for Development (TAD)
• Collaborative programs (CP)
• International School for Young Astronomers
  (ISYA)
• Exchange of Astronomers (EA)
• Exchange of books and journals (EBJ)
• Newsletter
• Public education during solar eclipses
• National liaisons

infrared image of the Galactic centre (ESO)
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Some IAU Comm. 46 officers, at General Assembly
in Sydney, Australia, in July 2003. Left to
right J. Fierro (Mexico), J. Pasachoff (USA), S.
Isobe (Japan), J. Percy (Canada), D. McNally (UK)
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The Program Group for the World-wide Development
of Astronomy

• PGWWDA chairperson John Hearnshaw (New
• Zealand)
• PGWWDA identifies countries with the potential
• to develop astronomy education and research.
• PGWWDA visits countries interested in increasing
• contact with IAU and reports back to IAU EC and
  
• to Commission 46 president
• PGWWDA will encourage follow up with work
• of TAD, ISYA, EA

Milky Way in infrared at 12, 25 and 60 µm with
IRAS satellite
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Program Group Teaching Astronomy for Development

• TAD chairpersons Larry Marschall Ed Guinan
  (USA)
• TAD assists developing countries with astronomy
• education and research at university level
• TAD sends visiting lecturers, and provides
• travel funds for graduate students and
  visiting
• scientists
• During 2000-2006 TAD was active in Central
• America, Vietnam, Morocco, Philippines,
• Nigeria
• TAD is planning support for Vietnam, Mongolia,
• Nicaragua, Philippines from 2007

Pleiades star cluster
30 Doradus nebula in LMC
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Program Group The International School for
Young Astronomers (ISYA)

• ISYA chairperson Michele Gerbaldi (France)
• Each school brings together some dozens (30-40
• gt 33 foreign) of astronomy graduate students
• (MSc, PhD level) for lectures and practical
  work
• Language used is English
• Recent ISYA held in Cuba (1989), Malaysia
  (1990),
• Morocco (1990, 2004), China (1992), India
  (1994),
• Egypt (1994), Brazil (1995), Iran (1997),
  Romania
• (1999), Thailand (2001), Argentina (2002),
• Mexico (2005), Malaysia (March 2007)

globular cluster, 47 Tuc
Trifid nebula, M20
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Program Group for the Exchange of Astronomers
(EA)

• EA chairpersons John Percy (Canada),
• Kam Ching Leung (USA)
• EA awards air fares for visiting astronomers
• to work in other countries for visits of at
  least
• 3 months
• EA does not pay living costs
• EA has recently supported exchanges for
• astronomers from India, Korea, Nigeria, Egypt,
• San Salvador, Argentina, Russia, Australia
  etc.
• Recent host countries have been China, USA,
• Mexico, Canada, India, several European
• countries

spiral galaxy in Andromeda, M31
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The importance of astronomy education (courtesy
of Fraknoi and Percy)

• Astronomy education is important because
• Astronomy has influenced our history and culture
• through its practical applications and its
• philosophical and religious implications.
• Astronomy has practical applications to
  navigation,
• timekeeping, calendars, climate.
• Astronomy has advanced mathematics, science
• and technology.
• Astronomy deals with our place in time and
  space
• with cosmic roots, and the origins of Earth
  and life.
• Astronomy reveals a vast, varied and beautiful
• universe.

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The importance of astronomy education (continued)

• Astronomy harnesses curiosity, imagination and a
• sense of shared exploration and discovery.
• Astronomy is the ultimate interdisciplinary
  subject.
• Astronomy attracts young people to science and
• technology and can promote public
  understanding
• of science.
• Astronomy (unlike many sciences) can be enjoyed
• as a hobby.
• Astronomy puts our planet into perspective
  especially
• issues of the environment and overpopulation.
• Astronomy education promotes an awareness of the
• history of ideas in science.

1.8-m Japan-NZ alt-az telescope at Mt John, NZ
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Other astronomy links for astronomy teachers

• Astronomy Education Review
• (http//aer.noao.edu)

The Astronomy Education Review is an electronic
journal/website that provides a meeting place
for all who are engaged in astronomy and space
science education, in either formal or informal
settings.
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United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

• United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
• (http//www.oosa.unvienna.org/)
• The United Nations Office for Outer Space
  Affairs
• (UNOOSA) is the United Nations office responsible
  
• for promoting international cooperation in the
• peaceful uses of outer space.
• Assists developing countries in space technology
  
• and development.
• Head office in Vienna, Austria

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Astronomical Society of the Pacific

• http//www.astrosociety.org
• Founded 1899
• Head office in San Francisco
• Supplies many educational
• maerials to teachers (slides, CDs, video tapes,
  
• posters) from Astroshop
• Publishes Mercury magazine
• Publishes many IAU publications, including
• IAU symposia, IAU Transactions

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Astronomy picture of the day

• Astronomy picture of the day
• (http//antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html)
• Website with excellent new pictures every day
• Many pictures from NASA, and
• Hubble Space Telescope
• Every picture has a brief explanation
• Ideal resource for teachers and educators

Rosette nebula, NGC 2237
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Hubble Space Telescope website

• http//hubblesite.org/
• Latest news, picture gallery and discoveries
• from the Hubble Space Telescope

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Amazing space website

• http//amazing-space.stsci.edu/
• Hubble website run by Space Telescope Science
• Institute
• The Formal Education Group of the Space
• Telescope Science Institute's Office of Public
  
• Outreach
• Promotes the science and majestic beauty of the
  
• universe for use in the classroom

Hubble Space telescope deep field about
1500 galaxies to mag. 30, some over 1010 yr
old. Exposure time 10 days
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THE END
Crab nebula
? Car
Horsehead nebula
M51
Trifid nebula