First IAU General Assembly in Africa kicks off with strong SKAO involvement

Some 2000 International delegates from 100 countries are gathering in South Africa – one of the Observatory’s three host countries and location of its SKA-Mid telescope. In Cape Town, they will get a chance to see the rapid construction progress and growth of the Observatory since the last General Assembly two years ago.

The Observatory’s teams have supported the South African bid from the start, contributing to defining the country’s vision for the meeting, participating on its national organising committee, as well as planning a wide range of activities during the event’s two weeks. 

Coinciding with Women’s Day in South Africa, and the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples recognised by UNESCO, the SKAO’s day-long session will feature an all-women line-up of speakers. They will reveal the latest construction progress at the telescope sites in Australia and South Africa, detail how the science community can get involved as we prepare for science verification and early operations, and showcase the partnerships we are building with local and Indigenous communities.

SKAO experts will also take part in a session for the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS for short), which the SKAO co-hosts. The CPS session on 7 August will offer a broad introduction to the causes of, and mitigations for interference caused by satellite constellations, as well as featuring interventions from industry. 

The SKAO’s central hub of activity at the Cape Town International Convention Centre will be its pavilion – a new locally-designed exhibition, information and learning space built by South African company HOTT3D. At the pavilion, conference attendees will be able to interact with the international teams of scientists and engineers bringing the Observatory’s telescopes to life. For the first time, participants will be able to take an immersive trip to the sites of the SKA telescopes in a gaming environment developed by SKACH, the Swiss Consortium for the SKAO. They can also  watch a short version of the award-winning 360º VR documentary Beyond the Milky Way, produced by Western Australian film production company White Spark and filmed on site in Australia.

Delegates will also be able to interact with real telescope hardware, including a full-size two-metre-tall SKA-Low antenna. More than 130,000 of these antennas will be installed for the SKA-Low telescope on Wajarri Yamaji Country in Western Australia. The pavilion will also showcase local artisan-made items for sale, with all proceeds going to support local community outreach initiatives. Post-conference, a travel version of the pavilion will feature at upcoming international conferences where the SKAO is represented to maximise its use.

Members of the public will also benefit from the event, with a packed public outreach programme in and around the conference to ensure the widest possible impact, as well as several schools visiting the conference and public talks.

The SKAO, along with partners the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), CSIRO – Australia’s national science agency – and the Wajarri Yamaji Aboriginal Corporation, is launching a brand new Indigenous art exhibition at the conference. Cosmic Echoes: a Shared Sky Indigenous Art Exhibition features painting, poetry and sound collage from established and new artists exploring how their traditional Indigenous knowledge and creativity intersect with scientists working to unlock the secrets of the Universe. The exhibition will be open to all attendees of the General Assembly throughout the conference, and open to the public on specific evenings during the conference.

Demonstrations of the SKAO’s table-top radio telescope (TTRT) – a portable hands-on device created by the Observatory that can detect the 21 cm radio waves of neutral galactic hydrogen – will take place at the conference and at schools and universities across Cape Town, providing an opportunity to inspire and engage the next generation with radio astronomy and wider STEM careers. SKAO staff will also be giving virtual outreach talks with several schools and groups across the continent to extend the meeting’s impact even further.

A community radio supported by several organisations including the SKAO and run by aspiring young broadcasters will bring the conference closer to audiences throughout the event. The conference will also be streamed online to a global audience via the conference’s website.

Members of the media will also have the opportunity to hear the latest progress in delivering the SKA Observatory and in addressing the challenges posed by satellite constellations, with two media briefings planned to update them.

Away from Cape Town, several tours have been arranged to give participants an opportunity to visit the SKA-Mid telescope site in the Karoo and SKA-Mid dishes under construction, as well as the South African designed and built MeerKAT telescope, one of the precursors to the SKA.

With more than 2000 registered attendees in person and another 500 online, the IAU General Assembly 2024 promises to be a unique, African-themed celebration of global astronomy. 

Online registrations will remain open for the duration of the conference for professional attendees.