• The IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name Station Shiv Shakti for the landing site of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander on Moon. 

• On August 23, 2023, India’s Moon mission Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module touched down on the lunar South Pole, making it the first country to land on the uncharted surface.

• Three days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Chandrayaan-3’s landing point on the Moon will be named ‘Shiv Shakti’.

• The IAU’s Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, where the name was officially published, described it as a compound word from Indian mythology representing the masculine (‘Shiva’) and feminine (‘Shakti’) duality of nature.

• The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature provides detailed information about planetary names approved by the International Astronomical Union.

International Astronomical Union (IAU)

• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) was founded in 1919. 

• It is the world’s largest professional body for astronomers.

• Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. 

• IAU serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them.

• Its individual Members — structured into Divisions, Commissions, and Working Groups — are professional astronomers from all over the world, who are active in professional research, education and outreach in astronomy. The IAU also has Junior Members. 

• IAU brings together more than 12,000 active professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide.

• IAU membership spans 92 countries. Out of those countries, 85 are National Members. In addition, the IAU collaborates with various scientific organisations all over the world.

• The IAU collaborates with scientific organisations all over the world.

• The long-term policy of the IAU is defined by the General Assembly and implemented by the Executive Committee, while day-to-day operations are directed by the IAU Officers. 

• The focal point of its activities is the IAU Secretariat, hosted by the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris in France. 

• The scientific and educational activities of the IAU are organised by its nine Scientific Divisions and, through them, its 38 specialised Commissions covering the full spectrum of astronomy, along with its 48 Working Groups.

• The IAU’s mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education, and development, through international cooperation.

• The key activity of the IAU is the organisation of scientific meetings. 

• The IAU also works to promote research, education and public outreach activities in astronomy for the public. These activities culminated with the organization of the UNESCO International Year of Astronomy in 2009, which reached out to over 800 million people from 148 countries. 

• Following this effort, the IAU has also established in 2015 the Office of Young Astronomers (OYA), a joint venture with the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters.

• For over a century, the IAU has brought astronomers together to share their discoveries and launch international collaborations to study the Universe. 

• In recent decades the IAU has expanded its mission to include efforts not only in research, but also in using astronomy as a tool for outreach, education, and development. 

• With more than 12,000 active professional astronomers across the globe, the IAU strives to unite us all in appreciation of a shared sky.

Naming of Astronomical Objects

• Celestial nomenclature has long been a controversial topic. At its inaugural meeting in 1922 in Rome, the IAU standardised the constellation names and abbreviations. 

• In 1982, the United Nations, at its ‘Fourth Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names’ held in Geneva, recognised the authority of the IAU on assigning “extraterrestrial names” by adopting a resolution.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store