SKAO gearing up for first African IAU general assembly

BY MATHIEU ISIDRO (SKAO)

The SKAO is preparing to play a significant part in the first International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly to take place on the African continent later this year, with a series of events and activities planned.

The Observatory is organising a special all-day session on Friday 9 August as part of the conference’s programme to update the international astronomy community on the status of delivery of the telescopes and related facilities, upcoming opportunities for future users of the telescopes, as well as discussing science and socio-economic impact, including local and Indigenous engagement, and capacity development around the telescope sites and more widely.

The SKAO is also planning visits to the SKA-Mid site during the conference in collaboration with our local partner the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO). This will offer participants the opportunity to see the first few SKA dishes on site as construction of the SKA-Mid telescope progresses, as well as other facilities operating on site like the South African SKA precursor telescope MeerKAT.

The Observatory will also be introducing a new Shared Sky exhibition at the event, featuring new artworks from Indigenous Australian and South African artists that celebrate both countries’ long-standing cultural heritage and knowledge of the southern skies.

In recognition of the event’s significance and in order to reaffirm our support, the SKAO has committed a significant sponsorship to the General Assembly to help deliver its vision, and is working with South African stand builders HOTT3D to create a visually striking and interactive space that will showcase the Observatory’s work and multinational nature.