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Also see our press releases on eso.org, astronomy2009.org, spacetelescope.org.

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iau1206 — News Release

Major Astronomy Meeting Draws to a Close

31 August 2012: The XXVIIIth General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) ends today in Beijing, China. One of the largest astronomy meetings ever held, it saw a pot pourri of frontline astronomy topics being presented. The General Assembly resulted in the redefinition of the astronomical unit, and the meeting played an essential role in establishing a number of science- and technology-related collaborations throughout the world. The IAU also acquired a new divisional structure that fits better with the current astronomy landscape, focusing on education, outreach and development.

iau1205 — News Release

Kepler Discovers Planetary System Orbiting Two Suns — First transiting circumbinary multi-planet system detected to date

29 August 2012: A team of astronomers has found the first transiting circumbinary multi-planet system: two planets orbiting around a pair of stars. This discovery shows that planetary systems can form and survive even in the chaotic environment around a binary star. And that such planets can exist in the habitable zone of their stars. The results are being announced at the XXVIII General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Beijing, China and published in the 30 August 2012 issue of the journal Science.

iau1204 — News Release

OAD Shoots for the Stars — International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development makes landmark agreements

27 August 2012: The International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) programme is announcing a number of exciting new partnerships that will assist with the IAU’s decadal strategic plan, aimed at realising the societal benefits of astronomy. These landmark decisions involve establishing two new coordinating centres that use astronomy as a tool for development in the East and South East Asian regions, as well as launching an array of exciting programmes and events with different institutions across the world.

iau1203 — News Release

Launch of UNESCO–IAU Astronomical Heritage Web Portal

24 August 2012: A new UNESCO–IAU online Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy has been launched today at the IAU’s 28th General Assembly in Beijing, China. The site, which resides at www.astronomicalheritage.net, is a dynamic, publicly accessible database, discussion forum and document repository on astronomical heritage sites throughout the world, even if they are not on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

iau1202 — News Release

Gruber Cosmology Prize 2012 Awarded to Charles Bennett and the WMAP Team

20 June 2012: Charles L. Bennett and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) team are the recipients of the 2012 Cosmology Prize from the Gruber Foundation. They used observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation to determine the Universe’s age, content, geometry, and origin. This achievement has helped to transform cosmology into a precision science.

iau1201 — News Release

Media invitation for the 28th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union

27 March 2012: The 28th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the first meeting of its kind to be held in China. More than 3000 astronomers from all around the world are expected to meet and present their latest discoveries in Beijing, China, from 20–31 August 2012. A number of exciting media events are planned.

iau1104 — News Release

Science Magazine Honours IAU-endorsed Universe Awareness Programme with Prestigious SPORE Award

25 August 2011: Universe Awareness, a programme endorsed by the IAU that uses astronomy to inspire and educate very young children around the world, has been recognised for its educational value by Science Magazine.

iau1103 — News Release

"Gang of Four" receives $500 000 Gruber Cosmology Prize for reconstructing how the Universe grew

1 June 2011: Four astronomers who found a way to model the growth of the Universe are the recipients of the 2011 Cosmology Prize from The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation. Marc Davis, a professor in the Departments of Astronomy and Physics at the University of California at Berkeley (USA); George Efstathiou, the director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmology in Cambridge (UK); Carlos Frenk, the director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University (UK); and Simon White, a director of the Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching (Germany) will share the $500 000 award.

iau1102 — News Release

South African Minister of Science and Technology launches the IAU Global Office of Astronomy for Development

16 April 2011: The South African Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs Naledi Pandor, today launched the IAU Global Office of Astronomy for Development at the headquarters of the South African Astronomical Observatory.

iau1101 — News Release

Educational Astronomy Project Awarded Grant of 1.9 Million Euros

8 February 2011: The European Union (EU) has granted 1.9 million euros to support the 6-country educational programme EUNAWE, based on Universe Awareness (UNAWE). UNAWE is, an IAU-endorsed programme that uses the beauty and grandeur of the Universe to encourage young children, particularly those from an underprivileged background, to have an interest in science and technology and foster their sense of global citizenship from the earliest age. Although UNAWE was only founded five years ago, it is already active in 40 countries and comprises a global network of almost 500 astronomers, teachers and other educators.

iau1009 — News Release

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Secretariat to Close at the End of the Year

20 December 2010: The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) Secretariat will finish its activities on 31 December 2010, following three and a half years of service. While closure of the IYA2009 Secretariat marks the end of the largest project that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has ever embarked upon, the organisation remains committed to promoting education and public outreach throughout the world.

iau1008 — News Release

Cosmic Diary Anthology Released as a Free Book: Postcards from the Edge of the Universe

7 September 2010: The book, Postcards from the Edge of the Universe, was launched today at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Lisbon, Portugal. A legacy of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 Cornerstone project Cosmic Diary, the book features articles from astronomers around the world about the hottest astronomical topics of the moment.

iau1007 — News Release

International Year of Astronomy 2009 Reached Hundreds of Millions of People: Final Report Released

7 September 2010: A 1300-page final report for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 was released today at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Lisbon, Portugal. The report shows that at least 815 million people in 148 countries participated in the world’s largest science event in decades.

iau1006 — Organisational Release

From Stone Age to Space Age — Astronomy & World Heritage Thematic Study released

3 August 2010: The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at its 34th session in Brasília, Brazil, has, for the first time, endorsed a study in science heritage. The thematic study on the Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy, prepared within the framework of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, presents an overall vision of astronomical heritage and attempts to identify some of the most outstanding examples that are of significance to everyone.

iau1005 — Organisational Release

Agreement signed for the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development

30 July 2010: The President of the South African National Research Foundation, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld and the General Secretary of the IAU, Dr. Ian Corbett, signed a landmark agreement in Tshwane/Pretoria today with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) which will foster and promote astronomy in the developing world.

iau1004 — News Release

Steidel Receives $500,000 Gruber Cosmology Prize for Observations of Earliest Galaxies

2 June 2010: Charles Steidel, the Lee A. DuBridge Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, is the recipient of the 2010 Cosmology Prize of The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation in recognition of his revolutionary studies of the most distant galaxies in the Universe.

iau1003 — News Release

South African Astronomical Observatory Selected as Host for the IAU Office for Astronomy Development

25 May 2010: The Executive Committee of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has selected the SAAO, a national facility of the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), to host the IAU Office for Astronomy Development (OAD). The Office is the key component of the decadal global strategy plan, Astronomy for the Developing World, launched at the 2009 IAU General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is aimed at using astronomy to foster education and capacity building throughout the world.

iau1002 — News Release

From Earth to the Universe Wins Prize for Excellence in Astronomy Education and Public Outreach

26 February 2010: The International Year of Astronomy 2009/Mani Bhaumik Prize for Excellence in Astronomy Education and Public Outreach has been awarded to From Earth to the Universe (FETTU). This award recognises FETTU’s important contribution in improving public awareness of astronomical achievements, and in stimulating the use of astronomy for the promotion of scientific education and culture in 2009.

iau1001 — News Release

The International Year of Astronomy 2009: The Largest Science Education and Public Outreach Event in History

8 January 2010: As the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) comes to a close, the true scope of the venture is becoming clear. The final count of countries involved stands at 148, a staggering number that confirms that the IYA2009 network is the largest ever in science. Activities and events from these participating nations paint a picture of professional and amateur astronomers bringing the Universe down to Earth through countless projects, opening the eyes of the public to the wonders above.

iau0923 — News Release

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Closing Ceremony: Save the Date

17 December 2009: On 9 and 10 January 2010 the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) will be brought to an official close with a ceremony to be held in Padova, Italy, in the Aula Magna of the University of Padova, where Galileo taught experimental physics and astronomy. The final event of this global celebration of astronomy and its contribution to society and culture will be attended by the key figures behind IYA2009 as well as prominent astronomers. The press is invited to attend.

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