Blaauw and the IAU
Ron Ekers
President IAU 2004-2007
A Centennial Cruise Honoring Adriaan Blaauw
Groningen
7-8 Apr 2014
Adriaan Blaauw
1914-2010
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Personal notes
–  Kapteyn Laboratory 1971-1980
–  2010 Blaauw lecture
–  meeting with Adriaan Nov 2010
»  ESO
»  A&A,
»  IAU and China
April 2014
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Blaauw and the IAU
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History of the IAU
–  The Birth and First Half-Century
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Takes a political approach to IAU history
–  I will use the same style
–  This is very much Blaauw’s style and we see it in his other
successes e.g. ESO, A&A
■ 
Blaauw IAU president from 1976 to 1979
–  China ‘s re-admission to IAU
–  Blaauw’s political approach to the IAU history may well
have been triggered by the two China’s politics
April 2014
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IAU and Politics
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Blaauw puts a lot of emphasis on the political aspects
of the IAU in his history
–  My fascination with the political aspects grew when I
realised how strongly the birth of the IAU (and of some
other scientific unions) has been determined by political
circumstance (WWI) rather than the result of a cooperative spirit...
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typical IAU members will hardly be aware of these
aspects
April 2014
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July 28 1919: birth of IAU at
Brussels IRC meeting
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International Research Council (IRC)
–  To co-ordinate international efforts in the different
branches of science and its applications;
–  To initiate the formation of international Associations or
Unions deemed to be useful to the progress of science in
accordance with article I .......*
⃰  That new associations, deemed to be useful to the progress
of science and its applications, be established without delay
by the nations at war with the Central Powers, with the
eventual co-operation of neutral nations.’
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IAU is the first scientific union
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IAU Statutes, adopted on July 26 , 1919:
–  I.1. The purpose of the Union is:
»  To facilitate the relations between astronomers of different
countries where international co-operation is necessary or useful.
»  To promote the study of astronomy in all its departments.
–  I.2 The admission of countries to the Union shall be
subject to the Regulations of the IRC.
–  ...............
–  II.3 A National Committee shall be formed in each of the
countries belonging to the Union.
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no individual members yet
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List of member countries
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Nations at war with the central powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria, Turkey)
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Belgium
Canada
France
Great Britain
Greece
Japan
United States
and later: Italy and Mexico
Status of the neutrals unclear (eventually admitted 1922)
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Czecho-Slovakia
Denmark
Netherlands
Norway
Spain
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Adriaan’s summary
The IAU, far from being the result of an idealistic
move for internationalism under peaceful
circumstances, was born in the atmosphere of
miserable conflict between the belligerent nations of
World War I. For astronomy, traditionally so
internationally oriented, to be chosen as the first one
in the establishment of International Unions was a
natural thing. But the sky under which this happened
looked rather gloomy.
April 2014
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The evolution of the IAU over
nearly 100 years
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Political origins
Collaborative research
–  Solar Union, astrographic catalogues, Kapteyn’s selected areas,
time, telegrams .....
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Astronomical symposia
Individual members
Now no longer unique for astronomy symposium
Return to emphasis on collaboration and communication
between Nations
Using Astronomy to promote science and technology in
third world countries
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General Assemblies
(highlights)
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1922 Rome
–  Strong role played by G. Ellery Hale
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1928 Leiden
–  IRC membership opened (de Sitter) Germany attends
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1931 IRC is replaced by ICSU
–  International Council of Scientific Unions
–  ICSU’s role is now liaison not control
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1938 Stockholm
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Adriaan’s first IAU (age 24)
Individual membership
Last meeting before WWII
10 years before another General assembly
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Adriaan photographs
Eddington on boat
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Impact of WWII
on IAU
1939 Jan Oort is General Secretary
■  Netherlands isolated so secretariat can’t
function.
■  Oort transferred the secretariat to Adams
in the US
■  March 6 1946 Copenhagen conference to
restart the IAU after WWII
■  1948 IAU GA Zurich (10 years after
Stockholm)
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–  First scientific symposia
–  Germany and Japan re-adhere
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General Assemblies
(highlights continued)
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1951 Leningrad GA cancelled
–  Cold war impact on science, travel, communication
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1955 Dublin
–  individual members now dominate
–  invited discourses
–  Special nominating committee to elect the EC
»  Previously EC had been an internal election with seats for France,
UK, US and 3 others
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1958 Moscow
–  beginning of the IAU GA news bulletins
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1960 – The two China’s dilemma
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China had been an IAU member since 1935
US to host 1961 GA in Berkeley (Goldberg, Struve)
–  US Department of State unhappy about participants from
mainland China. They required “Free China (Taiwan)” be
included.
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Taiwan applies for membership
–  IAU EC did not feel that Taiwan had reached a level of activity
that would justify membership.
–  Implications re China were recognised
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1959 Taiwan membership is accepted
–  IAU EC took a formal approach to the process at this point
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1960 China withdraws
–  20 years before china re-adheres!
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Goldberg’s letter
to US State Department
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Leo Goldberg
–  [Chairman of the US National Committee of the IAU]
is: strongly opposed to withholding our invitation until
Formosa [Taiwan] is accepted as a member; ..... I
submit that any attempt to link the acceptance of
Nationalist China with the U.S. invitation could be
interpreted by the Executive Committee of the IAU as
political interference and for this reason I feel it would
be damaging to the scientific reputation of the U.S.
April 2014
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China – Restoration of IAU
Membership
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1976 IAU Grenoble
–  Leo Goldberg’s opening speech
–  no task more urgent than restoring Chinese membership
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Blaauw becomes President IAU
–  recognises a problem that needs a solution
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1976-7 IUGG , IUGS expel Taiwan
–  IAU expected to follow but does not
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1978-1979 discussions with China
–  Edith Muller, Wayman, Blaauw
–  Blaauw used ESO contacts to facilitate the negotiations and
to explore legal options
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1979 IAU GA Montreal
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China membership restored - Montreal Agreement
–  readmission negotiated by team including Blaauw and Chang
–  Blaauw and Chang (Purple Mountain Obs) were old
acquaintances, Yerkes 1947-8
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Dual adherence
–  One China with two adhering bodies
Mainland
CHINA
Taiwan astronomers
–  Name issue was deferred
»  Clever political move to get both governments on-side
–  Chinese membership was a provisional
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1979 IAU GA Montreal
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China membership restored - Montreal Agreement
–  readmission negotiated by team including Blaauw and Chang
–  Blaauw and Chang (Purple Mountain Obs) where old
acquaintances, Yerkes 1947-8
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Dual adherence
–  One China with two adhering bodies
CHINA Nanjing
CHINA
CHINA Taipei
–  Name issue was deferred
»  Clever political move to get both governments on-side
–  Chinese membership was a provisional
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Professor Wang Shou-Guan
Dear friends & colleagues,
The Chinese Astronomical Society celebrates its 60th
anniversary this year. Its reunion with this
international community today is an event that is
highly appreciated by all its 900 members.
Thank you!
April 2014
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Two China - Followup
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1982 IAU GA Patras
–  Dual adherence proposal ratified
ICSU has taken Blaauw's solution of the '2 China'
problem and made it applicable to all the ICSU
unions
■  There is still sensitivity and issues still arise
■ 
–  Individual name tags at IAU Sydney (not Republic of
China, not Taiwan...)
–  Flags on the IAU web site
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Chang Yu-Cheh
In 1986 I had the great pleasure to meet Chang again.
He was frail and in poor health; it was a moving
encounter. He died not long afterwards and lives on
in my memory as the personification of Chinese
courtesy and dignity.
Adriaan Blaauw
Annu. Rev. Astro. Astrophys. 2004
April 2014
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The politics of the planet
definition
following Blaauw (science politics) !
■  Manchester vote
■  EC withdraws right for individual votes
■  IAU had a planet naming problem
■  Individual votes had to be reinstated for Pluto since
Pluto’s classification was a people issue
■  had to hide the proposal from the press
■ 
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The situation in 2005
Many new Trans Neptunian Objects
■  2003 UB313 found by Mike Brown at Caltech
■  larger than Pluto but no name could be assigned
because no planet definition
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–  Zena?
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IAU had to make a decision
–  Another problem that requires a solution
April 2014
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Planetary advisory committees all
agreed on the Science but a
gridlock with three definitions:
1. 
Set Pluto as the minimum size (mass)
keeps Pluto a planet
2. 
include dynamics of the system
excludes Pluto
3. 
use round shape (hydrostatic equilibrium)
keeps Pluto a planet and adds more planets
April 2014
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IAU’s Planet Definition Committee
• André Brahic (France)
• Iwan P. Williams (UK)
• Junichi Watanabe (Japan)
• Richard P. Binzel (USA)
• Catherine Cesarsky(ESO)
• Dava Sobel (USA)
• Owen Gingerich (USA)
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historians, science writers, educationalists & planetary scientists
IAU XXVI GA
14-26 August 2006
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The vote on scientific issues
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2000 IAU GA Manchester
–  IAU members voted against a recommendation of the IAU executive
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2003 IAU GA Sydney
–  An IAU executive resolution to removed individual members vote was
passed
–  Strong negative reaction in the community
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2006 IAU GA Prague
–  Restored the individual vote for scientific issues
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IAU resolution 5A
a planet is round and has cleared its orbit
■  a dwarf planet is round but doesn’t dominate its
neighbourhood
■  Pluto becomes a "dwarf planet"
■  resolution passes comfortably
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The Vote
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Some thoughts on the sociology
Decision to work discretely until the GA in Prague
■  Decision to open the GA to the world media
■  The unbalance in the planetary science community at
the GA caused by the associated dynamics symposium.
■  Original simple resolution got modified before the GA
with footnotes that caused confusion
■  The problem of naming the class of dwarf planets
erupted when the geologists triggered a massive write-in
campaign opposing the class name “Plutons”
■  Impact on Czech Republic joining ESO
■ 
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February not a month
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Emboldened by their success in declaring Pluto not a
planet, the International Astronomical Union determined
this week by a close vote that February is too short to be
considered a true month. It has, however, been granted
the newly created status of “dwarf month.” …..
Michael Haber, 2008
April 2014
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