Press Release in English, May 24, 2006
Astronomers from all over the world will come to Prague
PRAGUE (May 24)
Around three thousand specialists in astronomy from all the world will meet in August in the Congress Center Prague (KCP) at the 26th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Prague will thus become the third city to which this prestigious congress will come again. Except for Rome, only Sydney belongs to this “extra league”. Interesting talks about Universe will be appreciated also by a general public.
Top specialists from member countries of the Union will gather for two weeks since August 14 in KCP to evaluate astronomical discoveries made during the preceding three years, and to negotiate continuation of international co-operation. The General Assembly of the IAU will concern most of the actual questions of astronomy, astrophysics and close disciplines. "Within the frame of 6 Symposia, 17 Joint Discussions and 5 Special Sessions we shall discuss small bodies of solar system which could closely approach our Earth. We shall also speak about double stars and their role in determining distances in space, about star formation, evolution of galaxies and black holes of different masses," said Prof. Jan Palouš, chairman of the National Organizing Committee of the IAU General Assembly and chairman of the Council for International Affairs of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. "IAU is international scientific union, uniting about 9 thousand outstanding professional astronomers all over the world. Its assemblies can be compared to Olympic games in sport," noted Dr. Jiří Grygar, chairman of the Czech Learned Society. Also amateur astronomers and space fans can enjoy interesting talks, presented as a part of the outreach programme of this prestigious meeting in a popular way and translated into Czech. The program of the meeting can be found on the internet web pages www.astronomy2006.com.
Press conference KCP, May 24, 2006. From the left: Vice-president of the KCP Direction Mgr. Ivan Bednář, Chairman of the National Organizing Committee of the 26th IAU General Assembly Prof. RNDr. Jan Palouš, DrSc., Mayor of the town part Prague 4 Bohumil Koukal, President of the KCP Direction and Vice-Mayor of Prague Ing. Jan Bürgermeister, Director General of KCP Ing. Michal Kárník, and Director of the hotel Holiday Inn JUDr. Jan Filip.
The role of women in astronomy and astrophysics will be discussed in special sessions. Young astronomers will exchange their experience of possibilities and ways of obtaining study stays. A conference of teachers of astronomy will also be organized. "Among the themes of dialogues will belong construction of new instruments on the Earth’s surface, planning very large telescope and experiments on space probes. Contained are also presentations and information on the most recent unexpected discoveries. In short, we prepare Prague hot astronomical summer 2006 which should be, like the general Assembly in 1967, unforgettably inscribed into the history of astronomy," noted Jan Palouš.
An important acknowledgement of the work of Czech astronomers will be granted at this assembly. "We are going to announce that the Czech Republic will be ranged, in near future, among the member countries of the prestigious European Southern Observatory (ESO). The role of the ESO, which was founded in 1962 as a government organization of some European countries, is a common research of the Universe, development of high technologies, propagation of new findings, education of general public etc.," revealed Prof. Palouš, and he added: "At the same time, the present director general of the ESO, Prof. Catherine J. Cesarsky, will be solemnly inaugurated as the President of the IAU."
The International Astronomical Union was founded in 1919, and Czechoslovakia became its member at the first Assembly in 1922 in Rome. Since then, the General Assemblies take part in three-year intervals, with the exception of World War II. A repeated General Assembly in the capital of the Czech Republic after 39 years is a sign of reputation of the Czech astronomy. During the centuries, great men of astronomy and physics, such as Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, Albert Einstein, Christian Doppler and others, lived and worked in Prague. The first time when the IAU General Assembly was held in Prague was in 1967, when the largest Czech telescope - two meter reflector - was inaugurated at the Ondřejov Observatory. The same Assembly also elected Ass. Prof. Luboš Perek the General Secretary of the IAU, who thus became the only Czech astronomer in such a high position.
More information can be obtained from:
Prof. RNDr. Jan Palouš, DrSc
Chairman of the National Organizational Committee of the General Assembly of the IAU,
Chairman of the Council for International Affairs of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR),
Head, Department of Galaxies and Planetary Systems, Astronomical Institute, ASCR
Phone: +420 267 103 038
Email:
