History

Located in Mitaka, Japan, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) is a joint project of the IAU and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The IAU OAO bridges the International Astronomical Union (IAU) with the global astronomy community of amateur astronomers, outreach practitioners, educators, communicators, and the general public. The Office manages a number of programmes through international collaborations to make the science of astronomy accessible to all.

Our main strategic actions are to:

• Increase the network of the National Outreach Coordinators by restructuring the programme and ensuring its effectiveness;
• Facilitate international communication through exchanges and translations;
• Provide open databases and public-friendly access to astronomical information;
• Encourage the communication of science and critical thinking through IAU member-public engagement, professional-amateur interactions, and citizen science activities; and
• Promote dark skies via the Pale Blue Dot message.

We work to achieve those strategic actions through our various programmes and by making astronomy accessible to everyone.