IVOA Participation in the IAU

The IAU and the IVOA: The Story So Far

The IAU VO working group was established in 2021, and led IVOA participation in the IAU General Assemblies in 2022 and 2024. This presentation gives a technical description of the contributions of the VO working group to these General Assemblies. Continued participation in the IAU should follow a plan that implements the goals of the IAU Strategic Plan 2020-2030. Discussion of such a plan is encouraged.

Virtual Observatory Tools for Students and Educators in Africa: Workshop at IAU GA 2024

A training workshop was held during the IAU General Assembly in Cape Town in August 2024. The workshop introduced the participants to Virtual Observatory tools and services for accessing a wide range of astronomical images, catalogues and other types of data. An ‘all sky’ approach was used to demonstrate the access and combination of data from different telescopes and archives. Tutors from VO projects in France, India and the US provided tutorials and training materials. The workshop was aimed at Ph.D students, postdoctoral researchers to help them use the VO for their own research, and it was also aimed at university staff interested in using these tools in their teaching within Africa. We report on the results of the school, and the lessons learned for the different approaches for introducing VO tools to students with very diverse backgrounds. We also highlight the legacy value and re-usability of the training materials prepared for the event.