Professor John Hearnshaw FRASNZ, FRSNZ will be speaking at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly in Busan, South Korea in early August.
 

See: https://www.iauga2022.org/ for further details on this gathering.

John has kindly agreed to deliver these talks to the members and friends of RASNZ later in the month.
 

His talks will be as follows:

TALK 1

Delivery Date: 4 August 2022

For: Towards a World Standard for Dark and Quiet Sky Protection initiative

Title: Light pollution - a unified global solution is needed for a global environmental problem

Abstract: Light pollution from artificial light poses a global environmental crisis, comparable in severity to global warming by greenhouse gases, to plastics in the oceans and to industrial air pollution in many of the world’s megacities. However, the dangers of light pollution are far less widely recognized, even though it is adversely impacting human health and the environment right now, as well as astronomical science.

A unified global solution is needed to address an urgent global environmental problem. There are many international agencies and organizations that can help tackle light pollution, and some are doing so already. But several more need to be lobbied. These include UNOOSA, COPUOS, IDA and IUCN (all of which are already engaged) and also WHO, ISC (the International Science Council), UNESCO and the OECD Environment Directorate. In addition, national academies of science in leading countries should be lobbied to approach their national governments.

TALK 2

Delivery Date: 11 August 2022

Title: Introduction to the IAU’s pro-am Working Group and future plans

Abstract: The IAU working group for professional-amateur relations in astronomy (for short, the pro-am WG) was formed in April 2021 as a WG under the Executive Committee. The IAU Strategic Plan 2020-30 stated that connecting professional and amateur astronomers was one of its goals for the decade (see Strategic Plan, Goal 4). This is also an integral mission of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach.

For the first century of its existence, the IAU has had very few formal contacts with the much larger body of amateurs around the world. This changed in 2019 with a successful one-day workshop for amateurs in Brussels, followed by the formation of the new Working Group in April 2021 for professional-amateur relations in astronomy.

A database of many of the principal amateur astronomical societies, associations and groups around the world has been established (which includes RASNZ) and future plans are under development.

I’m sure we all wish John well at the General Assembly and look forward to hearing him speak on his return.

Article added: Tuesday 26 July 2022