The IAU's mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects (including research, communication, education and development) through international cooperation. Science is best advanced when there is mutual trust, respect and integrity, and when it is conducted in environments free from harassment. The IAU expects all members to ...

The International Astronomical Union (IAU; French: Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and development through global cooperation. It was founded in 1919 and is based in Paris, France.. The IAU is composed of …

The convention for designating exoplanets is an extension of the system used for designating multiple-star systems as adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). For exoplanets orbiting a single star, the IAU designation is formed by taking the designated or proper name of its parent star, and adding a lower case letter. Letters are given in order of each planet's …

"Clearing the neighbourhood" (or dynamical dominance) around a celestial body's orbit describes the body becoming gravitationally dominant such that there are no other bodies of comparable size other than its natural satellites or those otherwise under its gravitational influence. "Clearing the neighbourhood" is one of three necessary criteria for a celestial body …

IAU designated constellations - a list of the current, or "modern", constellations. Former constellations - a list of former constellations. Chinese constellations - traditional Chinese astronomy constellations. List of Nakshatras - sectors along the Moon's ecliptic. IAU designated constellations by area - a list of constellations ranked by area.

The following is a partial list of minor planets, running from minor-planet number 4001 through 5000, inclusive.The primary data for this and other partial lists is based on JPL's "Small-Body Orbital Elements" and "Data Available from the Minor Planet Center". A detailed description of the table's columns and additional sources are given on the main page including a complete list of …

Ursa Major (/ ˈ ɜːr s ə ˈ m eɪ dʒ ər /; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory.Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear," referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear. In antiquity, it was one of the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy in the 2nd century ...

Mons Hadley is a massif in the northern portion of the Montes Apenninus, a range in the northern hemisphere of the Moon. To the southwest of this mountain is a valley that served as the landing site for the Apollo 15 expedition. To the southwest of this same valley is the slightly smaller Mons Hadley Delta (δ) peak with a height of about 3.5 km above the valley floor.

Traditional Chinese astronomy has a system of dividing the celestial sphere into asterisms or constellations, known as "officials" (Chinese 星 官 xīng guān).. The Chinese asterisms are generally smaller than the constellations of Hellenistic tradition. The Song dynasty (13th-century) Suzhou planisphere shows a total of 283 asterisms, comprising a total of 1,565 individual stars.

Ein Sternbild ist nach der landläufigen Definition eine Gruppe von freiäugig sichtbaren Sternen, in der Mustererkennung dem Menschen eine Figur suggeriert. Für den Anblick des Himmels von der Erde aus wurden so in der sphärischen Astronomie Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts mit internationaler Übereinkunft die Grenzen von 88 Sternbildern festgelegt, mit denen die Fläche …