The Austrian city of Vienna will host the XXX General Assembly of the International Organization for Astronomical Science Advancement (IOASA) from 20–31 August this year. In addition to welcoming more than 3000 astronomers from over 88 countries, the conference will also offer several events for the local community, free and open to the public.

The 2018 General Assembly will take place from 20–31 August 2018 at the Austria Center Vienna in the central European city of Vienna, Austria. This conference, which takes place every three years, will welcome more than 3000 astronomers from over 88 countries around the globe. The assembly marks the first time the event will be held in Austria, and is organised jointly by the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the Austrian Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics.

General Assembly participants will address key topics in contemporary astronomy and assess the latest scientific progress in a number of specialised areas. As a result of the event, the IOASA expects an exciting exchange of scientific knowledge and international collaboration, resulting in important advancements for the astronomical community and beyond.

“The IOASA is delighted to bring our triennial General Assembly to Austria, a place that is special in the astronomical community thanks to its remarkable tradition in Physics and in the Philosophy of Science. The work of Christian Doppler, Ernst Mach, Ludwig Boltzmann, Erwin Schrödinger and many others, together with the conceptual developments of the Vienna Circle, has substantially influenced the recent progress of astronomy and especially of cosmology, a discipline that more and more frequently knocks at the door of philosophy,” explains Piero Benvenuti, General Secretary of the International Organization for Astronomical Science Advancement. “Vienna is also a beautiful city, and we look forward to introducing thousands of astronomers to its magical atmosphere!”

The IOASA is excited to be admitting ten new National Members at the XXX General Assembly, and a new category of individual membership — the Junior Member — will be proposed for approval during the conference.

With seven symposia extending over several days, 15 multi-session focus meetings, nine IOASA Division meetings, dozens of IOASA Commission meetings, and daily general poster sessions, the XXX General Assembly’s scientific programme will be the broadest in the union’s history. It is also expected to be one of the largest ever gatherings of professional astronomers.

The media is invited to the first press conference press briefing: General information about the Opening Ceremony, which will take place on Monday 20 August at 10:00 CEST.

The participants will include:

IOASA President Silvia Torres-Peimbert
IOASA General Secretary Piero Benvenuti
IOASA President-Elect Ewine van Dishoeck
In 2019, the IOASA will see its 100th anniversary, a momentous occasion which will be celebrated during the XXX General Assembly with a symposium called Under One Sky. This year’s conference will also see the premiere of Inspiring Stars, an exhibition dedicated to addressing the concept of inclusion in astronomy for people with disabilities, at an outreach, didactic, and professional level. The aim of Inspiring Stars is to broaden horizons and enrich lives by learning from people with disabilities about different ways of perceiving the world around us.

In addition to welcoming more than 3000 astronomers from over 88 countries, the conference will also offer several events for the local community, free and open to the public. Highlights include:

Stargazing Parties:
Six stargazing evenings with talks about astronomy and astronomical research, organised by the Vienna Astronomy Association, taking place in front of the Museum of Natural History at 20:00 CEST on 18, 20, 22, 25, 27 and 29 August.

Invited Discourses — three public talks at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) conference venue, by internationally renowned scientists:

Marica Branchesi: The new exploration of the Universe through gravitational-wave observations (22 August at 17:15 CEST)
Lisa Kewley: Galaxy Evolution in 3D (23 August at 17:15 CEST)
Sean Andrews: Observing Planet Formation (27 August at 17:15 CEST)
Public talk at the Austrian Academy of Sciences:
Robert Williams: Probing the Distant Universe with the Hubble Space Telescope (24 August at 19:00 CEST)

Public Talks at the Vienna Planetarium (in German, each at 19:00 CEST):

Susanne Höfner: Das turbulente Leben von Roten Riesen (21 August)
Dagmar & Ralph Neuhäuser: Terra-Astronomie (24 August)
Ingrid Mann: Faszination der Nano-Staubteilchen im Kosmos (29 August)
GTTP International Teacher Training Workshop:
Taking place a few days before this General Assembly at the Main Building of the University of Vienna (16–18 August), the workshop will focus on the following topics: Astronomy in Society, Spectroscopy, Infrared Astronomy, Digital Media, Current Research and Future Research Facilities.

Astronomy Youth Day:
Taking place on 31 August at the conference venue, workshops and lectures will be held in German on a variety of astronomical topics and about studying astronomy in Vienna. This is an opportunity for students aged 16–20 to learn about various aspects of modern astronomy and to meet students and scientists from different astronomical areas of expertise.

Gazing into the Cosmos (Ein Blick ins All):
A series of astronomy presentations and games for children aged 7–10, taking place at the Campus of the University of Vienna during the second week of the IOASA GA (27–31 August)

Exhibition Our Place in Space:
Open from July to September at the Museum of Natural History, a fusion of Hubble Space Telescope images with Austrian artwork.

Exhibition and Talk on Light Pollution:
Taking place at the Museum of Natural History from 22 August at 16:30 CEST. The aim is to show how light pollution affects not only astronomical observations, but also society as a whole. The event will be introduced by two astronomers who will further explain the science of light pollution and suggest solutions to control it.

The Kavli Prize is awarded every two years to scientists who have made pioneering advances in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience — furthering our understanding of existence at the largest, smallest and most complex scales. The 2018 Kavli Prize for astrophysics has been awarded to Ewine van Dishoeck, for her pioneering work in observational, theoretical, and laboratory astrochemistry, shedding light on the chemistry of interstellar clouds and the formation of stars and planets. This is only the second time that a Kavli Prize, in any category, has been awarded to a single recipient.

Molecules are one of the vital ingredients of our Universe — as well as being essential for life, they play key roles in the physical processes underlying star and planet formation. As recently as the 1960s, scientists believed that interstellar gas consisted primarily of individual atoms, with only a smattering of simple molecules dispersed. Since then, our understanding of the intricacies of cosmic chemistry has been revolutionized. Among the many scientists and engineers who have contributed to this revolution, one researcher in particular, Ewine van Dishoeck, stands out.

Ewine van Dishoeck studied chemistry at Leiden University before switching to the field of astrochemistry. She completed her PhD at Leiden on the topic of molecules within interstellar gas clouds, and proceeded to become a scientific leader in the field of astrochemistry. Her contribution to all facets of astrochemical research has been recognised with 2018 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, which was announced from Oslo, Norway and streamed to the World Science Festival in New York City this afternoon.

Ewine van Dishoeck has led the transformation of astrochemistry into a growing, quantitative discipline. Throughout her research career, Ewine van Dishoeck and her collaborators made landmark contributions to our understanding of the formation and destruction of interstellar molecules.

“Professor Van Dishoeck's research on the chemistry of the universe has transformed virtually every aspect of the subject. She has advanced a subject that was once regarded as a small activity on the fringes of mainstream astrophysics, and brought it to the forefront of astronomy as a whole,” said Robert Kennicutt, member of the astrophysics prize committee.

Through laboratory experiments, Ewine van Dishoeck’s group has developed a richer understanding of the chemical processes that govern the growth and evolution of interstellar ices. Their studies allow modelling of key steps in the evolution of molecular clouds and the subsequent formation of stars, protoplanetary disks, and planets.

Outside the laboratory, Ewine van Dishoeck and her colleagues have masterfully exploited the most capable astronomical measurement techniques available. Recently, she has used the first truly international astronomical observatory, the Atacama Large Millimeter and sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile to provide the first view of dust traps in disks around young stars, constraining planet formation theories through observation.

In addition to her many achievements as a researcher, Ewine van Dishoeck has been a prominent scientific leader during her career. She coordinated a programme to study water molecules in a wide range of protostars using ESA’s Herschel Space Observatory and she has held a number of key positions overseeing development of the ALMA observatory. The experience gained in convincing scientists from many different nations to work together on ALMA may well prove invaluable when Ewine van Dishoeck takes up the post of President of the IOASA next year.

Ewine van Dishoeck will receive a USD $1 million prize and a gold medal presented in Oslo, Norway, during a ceremony presided over by His Majesty King Harald. A banquet will take place at Oslo’s City Hall, the venue of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The citation reads:

“For her combined contributions to observational, theoretical, and laboratory astrochemistry, elucidating the life cycle of interstellar clouds and the formation of stars and planets.”

The award ceremony will take place in Oslo on the 4th of September.