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Hong Kong to host the International Astronomical Union symposium for the first time

14 Feb 2008

 

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The International Astronomical Union Symposia will be held in Hong Kong for the first time by International Astronomical Union (IAU), the authority involved in the removal of Pluto as a major planet of the solar system and responsible for naming of all the asteroids of our solar system including China (1125), the first asteroid discovered by a Chinese astronomer, Jinyong (10930) and Chanyikhei (20780).

Attending the symposia include Dr. Yvonne Pendleton, Senior Advisor for Research and Analysis, NASA Headquarters and Dr. Scott Sandford, scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center, Member of the STARDUST team, and co-chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee. (See photo of Dr. Scott Sandford above)

Dean of Science of The University of Hong Kong and co-chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee Professor Sun Kwok who helped to successfully bid for hosting the symposia in Hong Kong said "the IAU Symposia are the flagship meeting series of the IAU, whose hosts are decided by a competitive international bidding process. Our success is a great recognition of the space and astronomical science developments in the Mainland and Hong Kong".

The symposia will be held at HKU between 18 and 22 February 2008 to explore the subject of organic matter in space, a cutting-edge multidisciplinary research field pulling together researchers in astronomy, chemistry, geology, and even biology, to discuss frontiers of the origin, evolution and distribution of organic matter. As the first major international conference on the topic of organic matter in space, it is expected that results reported from the symposium could have significant consequence for our understanding of the origin of life in the solar system and in the universe. It will be opened by the president of the International Astronomical Union, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, Director General of the European Southern Observatory.

For further information about the symposium can be found at www.hku.hk/science/iau251/

For media enquiries, please contact Ms. Cherry Cheung, Senior Manager (Media), HKU at 2859 2606 or cherry.cheung@hku.hk