Greater than 2 000 of the world’s skilled astronauts will converge on Cape City subsequent week for the 2024 Worldwide Astronomical Union (IAU) Basic Meeting.
The occasion is being held on African soil for the primary time within the organisation’s 105-year historical past and may have pre-recorded and stay periods streamed by way of YouTube – additionally for the primary time.
“The IAU Basic Meeting will carry astronomers collectively to share their work in numerous fields, together with how the historical past of the universe is being rewritten utilizing photographs from the James Webb House Telescope, new strategies for predicting and discovering planets exterior our photo voltaic system, efforts to guard darkish skies in opposition to mild air pollution, and using astronomy around the globe to drive improvement,” mentioned the IAU in an announcement.
Amongst these attending shall be Sian Proctor, mission pilot for the primary all-civilian orbital mission, Inspiration4, as effectively the primary African American girl to pilot a spacecraft.
Additionally attending is Brian Schmidt, winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, and chief of the group that found that the enlargement of the universe is accelerating.
Different IAU Basic Meeting occasions that shall be open to the general public embody:
- Appearances by Mae Jemison, a former Nasa astronaut and the primary African American girl in house;
- The Sq. Kilometre Array Observatory’s “Cosmic Echoes” astronomy and artwork exhibition, that includes blended media artworks from indigenous artists in Australia and South Africa;
- Public screenings of Rising Star, a full dome and digital actuality movie highlighting the South African Giant Telescope (Salt) and the MeerKAT radio telescope;
- The official opening of the brand new South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) customer centre; and
- “An Night with Nasa”, which can provide the general public a possibility to satisfy Nasa scientists and educators.
Recognised authority
The IAU is a world organisation with a membership of greater than 12 000 energetic skilled astronomers from about 100 nations. It’s additionally the recognised authority that classifies and names celestial or astronomical our bodies, from the biggest objects in house just like the Hercules-Corona Borealis Nice Wall to asteroids like 2024 MK, which handed between Earth and the moon on 29 June. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
