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The International Astronomical Union (IAU) unites national Astronomical societies from around the world. It also acts as the internationally recognized authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies ( Star s, Planet s, Asteroid s, etc.) and any surface features on them, and is a member of the International Council For Science (ICSU). The main aim of the IAU is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. Headquartered in Paris, France, its individual members are professional astronomers from all over the world, at the Ph.D. level or beyond, and active in professional research and education in astronomy. The IAU maintains friendly relations with organizations that include amateur astronomers in their membership. National Members are usually those with a significant level of professional astronomy. Working groups include the Working Group For Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), which maintains the Astronomical Naming Conventions and Planetary Nomenclature for planetary bodies. The IAU is also responsible for the system of astronomical telegrams which are produced and distributed on its behalf by the Central Bureau For Astronomical Telegrams . The Minor Planet Center (MPC), a clearinghouse for all non-planetary or non-moon bodies in the Solar System , also operates under the IAU. HISTORY The IAU was founded in 1919, as a merger of various international projects including the '' Carte Du Ciel '', the Solar Union and the International Time Bureau (''Bureau International de l'Heure''). The first appointed President was Benjamin Baillaud . Pieter Johannes Van Rhijn served as president from 1932 to 1958. COMPOSITION The IAU has 9,785 ''individual'' members, all of whom are professional astronomers and most of whom hold PhD s. There are also 63 ''national'' members who represent countries affiliated with the IAU. 87% of individual members are male; 13% are female. The union's current president is astronomer Catherine J. Cesarsky . The sovereign body of the IAU is its ''General Assembly'', which comprises all members. The Assembly determines IAU policy, approves the Statutes and By-Laws of the Union (and amendments proposed thereto) and elects various committees. The right to vote on matters brought before the Assembly varies according to the type of business under discussion. The Statutes consider such business to be divided into two categories:
On budget matters (which fall into the second category), votes are weighted according to the relative subscription levels of the national members. A second category vote requires a turnout of at least two thirds of national members in order to be valid. An absolute majority is sufficient for approval in any vote, except for Statute revision which requires a Two-thirds Majority . An equality of votes is resolved by the vote of the President of the Union. GENERAL ASSEMBLIES The IAU General Assembly meets every three years, with the exception of WWII.
Past meetings include:
THE XXVITH GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE REDEFINITION OF A PLANET See Also: 2006 definition of planet The XXVIth General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union was held from August 14 to August 25 , 2006 in Prague , Czech Republic . On 15 August the Assembly decided to restore to individual members the right to vote on scientific matters, which had been removed from them at the XXVth Assembly in 2003. Among the business before the Assembly was a Proposal To Adopt A Formal Definition Of ''planet'' . During the General Assembly the text of the definition evolved from the initial proposal that would have created 12 known Planets in our Solar System (adding initially the asteroid Ceres , Pluto 's present moon Charon and Eris and would retain Pluto as a planet) to the final Definition Of A Planet resolution that was passed on August 24 by the Assembly, which classified Ceres, Eris and Pluto as Dwarf Planet s, and reduced the number of planets in the solar system to 8. The voting procedure followed IAU's Statutes IAU's Statutes and Working Rules IAU's Working Rules . The General Assembly lasted 12 days and had 2412 participants IAU General Assembly Welcome page , most of them for only part of the duration of the Assembly. 424 of the 9785 individual IAU members attended the Closing Ceremony 24 August 2006. Following the August 24th, 2006, parts of the scientific community did not agree with this ruling, especially the specific wording of the resolution, and criticized IAU's authority to name celestial bodies. In the ensuing public debate a number of laypersons, especially school children, expressed (at times strong emotional) disagreement with the vote. Another, less vocal, fraction of the scientific community backs the resolution. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS REFERENCES
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