IAU Division III

Sciences du Systeme Planetaire

Planetary System Sciences

Working Groups of the Division

IAU Division III currently has two divisional working groups which carry out specific duties which transcend the boundaries of any single commission within the division. As it happens, both of these working groups are associated with the study of small bodies and one of them is actually an inter-divisional working group.

The Working Group on Near Earth Objects is chaired by David Morrison, of NASA's Ames Research Center, and is co-sponsored by IAU Division I (Fundamental Astronomy). This working group is charged with promoting international collaboration in and coordination and support of studies of NEOs. Among other things, this working group serves as liaison with the International Spaceguard Foundation. They report at each General Assembly on initiatives for NEO discovery and for research on NEOs. The chairman of the working group maintains a web-site with extensive information on the hazards of comet and asteroid impacts. This page is updated regularly but may lag a few days behind new discoveries.

The Small Bodies Names Committee is chaired by the Divisional President, Michael F. A'Hearn, of the University of Maryland. This committee advises the Director of the Minor Planet Center and Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams regarding the names of minor planets and comets. The committee maintains a Web Page.

I'm Tired and I Wanna Go Back to:

IAU .............................. IAU Division III ............. IAU Commission 15

Department of Astronomy ............. M. F. A'Hearn .............

Created: 1997/09/09, mfa; Last Update: 1998/03/09, mfa