Small developing countries may not have a dark site with good seeing for an astronomical observatory or be able to afford the financial commitment to set up and support such a facility. Much of astronomical research today is however done with remote observations, such as from telescopes in space, or obtained by service observing at large facilities on the ground. Cutting-edge astronomical research can now be done with low-cost computers, with a good Internet connection to get on-line access to astronomical observations, journals and most recent preprints. E-mail allows fast easy collaboration between research scientists around the world. An international program with some short-term collaborative visits, could mine data and publish results from available astronomical observations for a fraction of the investment and cost of running even a small local observatory. Students who have been trained in the use of computers and software by such a program would also be more employable in the current job market. The Internet can reach you wherever you like to be and give you direct access to whatever you need for astronomical research.

Astronomical catalogues are powerful tools for carrying out modern theoretical and observational studies. Analysis of catalogue data enables important information to be obtained and does not require modern expensive observational techniques to reach reliable scientific results. In this paper we give some examples of such approaches and present some results of successful work with catalogues.

We have constructed a computer controlled telescope using a 0.36-m f/11 Celestron optical tube assembly for teaching and research applications. We have constructed a heavy duty fork-type equatorial mount fitted with precision machined 24 inch drive disks for both axes. These are friction driven by stepper motors through one inch rollers. We have used an open loop control system triggerable by an ST-4 CCD camera to acquire and track any target object. Our telescope can home in on any target within a range of two arc-minutes. We have employed a commercial stepper motor controller card for which we have written a user friendly pc based telescope control software in C. Photometry using a solid state photometer, and imaging by an ST-6 CCD camera are possible.

We consider that this project is suitable for those wishing to construct some parts of a telescope and understand the principles of operation. A simpler model of this telescope could use DC motors instead of stepper motors. We shall be happy to send our design diagrams and details to those interested. This project was funded by the DST, and was assisted by IUCAA, Pune.

We present small radio telescopes consisting of commercial instruments for satellite TV reception. With these radio telescopes we can observe the 12 GHz emissions from the quiet sun and solar flares. Since microwaves occurring in our environment, e.g., those from a building and a fluorescent lamp, are also detectable, such radio telescopes are useful not only for radio astronomy education but also for physics education.

In order to promote education and research in developing countries, the Japanese Government began in 1982 providing high-grade equipment within the scheme of its ODA (Official Development Assistance). Since then, for astronomical development, twelve planetaria have been donated to eleven countries and seven reflecting telescopes, with accessories, have been installed in Asian and Latin-American countries.

Astronomers in developing countries are often confronted with multiple problems of access to good equipment and access to good astronomical sites. While there is no subsititute for personal experience of using qood equipment at a good site, access to robotic telescopes can address these problems of access to some extent. This paper explores the possibilities for at least moderately experienced observational astronomers in developing countries to conduct observing programmes using remote robotic telescopes at good astronomical sites.

For the past decade, astronomers from The Citadel, The College of Charleston, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Villanova University have operated in Southern Arizona a 0.75-m automated telescope to obtain differential Strömgren uvby, Johnson BV, and Cousins RI photometry of a wide variety of stars. Each school averages the equivalent of about 40 nights/year of high quality photometry at a cost less than using observers. By mixing our programs we obtained observations of certain important stars on nearly every clear night they can be observed. Usually we request a star be observed only once per night. Still continuous coverage can be obtained. The stars are given priorities and scheduled using ATIS. The telescope selects targets from the groups with the highest priority by choosing the one closest to the western edge of the observing window. Some data has been analyzed by undergraduate and graduate students. We use internet to send requests for observations and to retrieve data. We believe our experiences are germane to others interested in automated photometric telescopes. We are open to the possibility of collaborations with other astronomers who are obtaining photometric and spectroscopic data. (Coauthors are: L. Boyd, R.J. Dukes Jr, E.F. Guinan, G.M. McCook and D.M. Pyper, all of the U.S.A..)

Background: Paraguay has some heritage from the astronomy of the Guarani Indians. Buenaventura Suarez S.J. was a pioneer astronomer in the country in the XVIII century. He built various astronomical instruments and imported others from England. He observed eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites and of the Sun and Moon. He published his data in a book and through letters. The Japanese O.D. A. has collaborated in obtaining equipment and advised their government to assist Paraguay in building an astronomical observatory, constructing a moving-roof observatory and training astronomers as observatory operators. Future: An astronomical center is on the horizon and some possible fields of research are being considered. Goal: To improve education at all possible levels by not only observing sky wonders, but also showing how instruments work and teaching about data and image processing, saving data and building a data base. Students must learn how a modern scientist works.

Good science can be done with small instruments. Very productive research in the area of short period interacting binary systems has been conducted by the authors with PMT’s and small CCD cameras attached to 0.28 m to 0.9-m instruments. A summary of important results over the past fourteen years is presented along with current work on the interesting semidetached and contact solar type systems TY UMa, V523 Cas, CN And, VZ Psc and BE Cep. Light curve asymmetries in CN And, BE Cep and possibly others indicate the presence of gas streams. This may signal that they are undergoing evolution into contact, an important but rarely observed stage in binary star evolution. Period studies are presented for each of the systems, documenting interesting orbital histories. V523 Cas and TY UMa display large period changes giving evidence of a light time effect due to a third body. This research has been largely supported at the local level and by small research grants from the American Astronomical Society.

We report the activity of continued and sequential cooperation among Asian countries/regions, especially in East Asia. Such efforts started in 1990 from a small-size China-Korea-Japan meeting on star-forming regions. Being aware of the importance of cooperation among those neighboring countries, participants agreed to hold sequential “East Asian Meetings for Astronomy (EAMA)”. The 1992 meeting entitled “Millimeter-Wave and Infrared Astronomy” was held in Korea, the 1995 meeting entitled “Ground-Based Astronomy in Asia” was held in Japan, and the 1999 meeting entitled “Observational Astrophysics in Asia and its Future” was held in China. These meetings achieved quite high activity with 100-200 participants, each. An important product of those meetings was active exchange between young astronomers, including graduate students. The primary aim of these meetings/activities was to promote small but practical cooperation in the field of astronomical instrumentation, as well as to widen the contact among Asian astronomers. An East-Asian co-experiment to search for good sites for a possible “Asian Observatory” was among such efforts. The close cooperation between Japan, China (Peoples’ Republic and Taipei) and Korea, on millimeter and sub-millimeter wave technology is another good example of joint developments of new instruments.

Several developing countries of the Third World have been actively interested in astronomy, as is evidenced by the membership of the IAU. The enthusiasm of individual astronomers from these countries is, however, not matched by the resources available to them to pursue their interest in astronomy, in teaching as well as research, at an above-threshold level. Major problems requiring solutions are (i) isolation from the mainstream work, which leads to research work which is not quite relevant or realistic, and to teaching based on outdated knowledge; (ii) lack of financial resources, leading to shortage of books and journals in the library, insufficient computing power, out-of-date instruments, as well as inability to participate in essential activities like schools, workshops, and major international conferences and symposia; and (iii) lack of hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation that often leads to good scientists being turned away from astronomical observations towards abstract theories.

Experience of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics at Trieste, Italy and of the inter-university centres in India, like the IUCAA at Pune, has shown that limited resources can be made to go a long way by sharing, networking and intelligent use of communications technology. Based on the above experience, this proposal envisages setting up a Third World Astronomy Network (TWAN) under the auspices of the IAU, within the wider ICSU-umbrella with support from the UNESCO as well as participating nations. The TWAN will operate with a few key institutions as local nodal points of a wide network. The objectives of the proposed TWAN and the role of the Nodal Institutions (NIs) are spelled out in this proposal, along with the budgetary support required.

Providing adequate security for equipment is probably a problem in all parts of the world, but needs special consideration in developing countries. Social and economic conditions are very different so that implementation of advice sought from experts who are unfamiliar with local conditions can lead to disasters.

The need for adequate security must be taken into account while considering factors such as type of equipment, the site for the equipment, budgetary provisions, personnel etc.

Some examples of situations that may arise will be given in order to provoke discussion and raise the awareness of participants on this important issue.

Astronomers from non-English-speaking countries, who form a sizeable proportion of the astronomical research community, are obliged to communicate the results of their investigations in a language that is not their own. Consequently, good science is frequently masked by poor command of English, which can create an unnecessary barrier to the communication of scientific results. A suggested method of surmounting the language barrier is the setting up of scientific editorial services in at least the major astronomical centres. It is further argued that journal editors, rather than scientific referees, should be responsible for judging the linguistic and stylistic quality of articles presented for publication. The peer-review system would then be restricted exclusively to the scientific rather than linguistic content of papers presented.

The scientific Editorial Service of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, in operation since 1996, is briefly described in this context.

The problems and rewards of shipping astronomical books to libraries in developing countries are discussed, with particular reference to the author’s own experience from his base at the Royal Astronomical Society.

The acquisition of books and journals for a scientific library is costly. To ensure that this is a cost-effective process, consideration must be given to the arrangement, care and preservation of the collection. The books should be stored in a designated library area. Items acquired by purchase or donation must be catalogued, and a loan record kept. Besides regular library routines, attention must be given to the protection and preservation of the collection. Among the factors that contribute to the deterioration of library materials are temperature and humidity within the storage area, air pollution, dust, light and pests. Unchecked, they may cause serious damage to library materials at a very fast rate. If they are controlled, deterioration is greatly reduced.

The use made of electronic access to journals by astronomers in some developing countries is estimated and compared with the use made of it by astronomers in developed countries.

Astronomers nowadays have a wealth of sophisticated publishing software at their fingertips, but are they achieving acceptable standards of presentation?

Non-commercial astronomical publications have been freely distributed worldwide to relevant institutions for more than a century. Astronomers have considered collaboration a very important aspect of their work and, to assist them, librarians have established a supportive international network.

An electronic newsletter was launched in Latin America with the purpose of fostering communication and collaboration between the national astronomical communities. The unique characteristics of this newsletter are presented, together with the first results and plans for the future.

IAU membership is a good indicator of a nationally organized astronomical community. Although IAU membership statistics for Africa continue to be very poor, other indicators (such as publications) suggest that there are many individual scientists in Africa who are attempting research or promoting education in astronomy. The Working Group on Space Sciences in Africa seeks to support these individuals through various means. This poster provides an overview of astronomy in Africa and the activities of this Working Group.