IAU
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Astronomy & Space
| Stands for | International Astronomical Union |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
IAU stands for International Astronomical Union, an astronomy & Space abbreviation.
Worldwide organization of professional astronomers, founded in 1919, that is the recognized authority for naming celestial bodies and features and for defining astronomical terms and constants. Its 2006 definition of "planet" reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet.
Example: The IAU's NameExoWorlds contests let the public name dozens of exoplanets and their host stars.
Usage notes
The IAU set the 88 official constellations and their boundaries in 1922-1930 and fixed the astronomical unit in 2012. It does not sell star names; companies offering to "name a star" have no official standing. The union's General Assembly meets every three years.
Related abbreviations
More astronomy & Space abbreviations
- GTO – Geosynchronous transfer orbit
- H0 – Hubble constant
- HEO – Highly elliptical orbit
- HR diagram – Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
- HST – Hubble Space Telescope
- HZ – Habitable zone
- ISRO – Indian Space Research Organisation
- ISS – International Space Station
- JAXA – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- JD – Julian date (Julian Day number)
- JPL – Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- JWST – James Webb Space Telescope