17 countries to implement IAU100 Global Projects in Africa

In 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is celebrating its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the IAU is organising a year-long celebration to increase awareness of a century of astronomical discoveries as well as to support and improve the use of astronomy as a tool for education, development and diplomacy under the central theme “Under One Sky”.

The centennial celebrations will stimulate worldwide interest in astronomy and science and will reach out to the global astronomical community, national science organisations, societies, policy-makers, students, families and the general public.

The IAU100 activities will take place at global and regional levels, and especially at the national and local levels. To coordinate the initiative, the IAU has set up the IAU100 Task Force as well as the IAU100 Secretariat based in Leiden Observatory (The Netherlands). The task force has prepared a comprehensive programme of Global initiatives to reach targeted audiences worldwide through the IAU National Outreach Coordinators and National Astronomical Societies, which have set up National IAU100 National Committees to ensure the worldwide success of the initiative.

African countries that would host the event include: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Tanzania and Zambia.

Earlier this year, Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, Ethiopia and Physics Department of Busitema University, Uganda were among the 10 recipients of the telescope competition organized by IAU100 in collaboration with the Belgian initiative Sterren Schitteren voor Iedereen (SSVI) and Universe Awareness (UNAWE).

To learn more about the IAU100 global project, visit their website.

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