Astronomical Meeting in South Africa Makes History

(by William H. Waller for The Galactic Inquirer)

Astronomers worldwide gathered this past August in Cape Town, South Africa to communicate their myriad interests in research, education, and public engagement.  The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the world’s largest organization of professional astronomers.  Every three years, the IAU convenes its General Assembly (GA) somewhere on planet Earth.  For the first time in the IAU’s 105-year history, the GA took place on the African continent.  More than 2,000 participants attended in person and online, literally putting Africa on the map of cosmic enterprise.

Africa’s astronomical debut has come at an opportune time, as a multitude of facilities and projects have taken root across the continent in the service of astronomical questing.  These include the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) with its 11-m diameter reflecting mirror located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Sutherland, South Africa, the MeerKAT array of radio telescopes north of Cape Town which is the testbed for the much larger Square Kilometer Array (SKA) of radio telescopes being developed, the KELT and SuperWASP telescopes in Sutherland that observe at optical wavelengths, and the H.E.S.S. gamma-ray telescopes in Namibia.  Research-grade telescopes spanning the electromagnetic spectrum also can be found in Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, and Nigeria. There are even plans to construct a major radio telescope on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.  All these facilities benefit from their location near or south of the equator, where many marvels of the southern sky can be accessed.

Topics of discussion and deliberation at the meeting ran the gamut of astronomical endeavor.  Key questions that were addressed included …

• Now that we have finally detected gravitational waves, how can we best interpret them in terms of violent mashups in the distant universe?
• What are the “little red dots” that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed at high redshift – when galaxies were just beginning to congeal from the chaos following the hot big bang?
• JWST has also imaged barred spiral galaxies having emerged soon after the big bang.  How did these well-developed systems get themselves together so quickly?
• What is the evolution over cosmic time of neutral hydrogen – the most abundant form of ordinary matter?
• How do we understand the Sun’s myriad antics in terms of its internal workings?
• How can we develop telescopic technologies that effectively resolve Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars?
• How do we best share our data and tools for the benefit of diverse stakeholders?
• How do we best curate and communicate the heritage of astronomy across cultures?
• How can we engender more sustainable ways of doing astronomy around the world?
• How can we better protect our skies for the continuance of ground-based astronomy, for the benefit of natural ecosystems, and for our own physical health?
• How do we use astronomy as a catalyst for advancing education and development?
• How can we best leverage astronomy as an agent of inspiration, mental health, and peaceful cooperation?

In addition to the scientific sessions, the GA hosted public events that included an enthralling talk by astronaut Sian Proctor – the first African-American woman to pilot a spaceship – and a chance to chat with astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station.  Both events were well attended by school children.  Others included a special screening at the Iziko Planetarium of the film “Aitsa” which presented an inclusive melding of ancient spiritual knowledge and modern science in the great Karoo desert of South Africa.  Public talks were given on a variety of astronomical topics, while research centers hosted public open houses throughout the “Mother City.”  A public star-gazing party on the V & A Waterfront had to be canceled due to cloudy weather.  These sundry events have kept alive the IAU’s centennial theme of “Under One Sky.”

Since the founding of the IAU in 1919, the profession of astronomy has evolved away from being a bastion for white males of European descent and towards a more inclusive profession.  Representation of women has increased markedly, while people of diverse races and ethnicities are slowly making inroads as contributors to the field.  Still, much remains to be done to broaden participation worldwide.  That is why the IAU GA in South Africa was of such historic import.  By showcasing how astronomy has helped to advance educational and technological progress on the African continent, the meeting provided an essential template for improving lives globally.