Commission 30 has 120 members in 28 countries who are active in the area of radial velocities. During the past triennium 11 new members have joined the commission. The work of the commission covers a wide range of topics all of which concern the application of the Doppler effect to astronomical objects, including galaxies and the interstellar medium as well as stars, and in all wavelength ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although the commission focuses mainly on stellar and galaxy radial velocities, it is noted that stellar rotation, spectroscopic binaries, extrasolar planet searches, pulsating variable stars, asteroseismology and turbulence in stellar atmospheres are also included.

Over the next five years, South Africa and its international partners will construct the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), a 10-m optical/near-infrared spectroscopic survey telescope. This paper traces the arguments used to justify the construction of such a facility in Africa. The collateral benefits expected from this project are discussed, along with suggestions of how to realize these benefits. SALT has the potential to promote the development of astronomy on the continent. The creation of an African Network for Astronomy Education and Research is proposed as a way to stimulate such development.

Radio astronomy has seen major advances in both instrumentation and scientific discovery during the last three years. This report is not encyclopedic but is intended to show the breadth of activity in the field. Division X is a technique-based division, and radio telescopes are becoming increasingly more international in character and usage. For these reasons this report devotes considerable attention to advances in instrumentation. More complete information on radio telescopes and scientific advances in the field can be found at the following Web site: http://www.stsci.edu/science/net-resources.html

Diameter measurements performed with the solar astrolabe are affected by atmospheric effects. In order to deduce significant astrophysical results, it is necessary to know how these effects contribute to the error of diameter measurement. For this purpose, a numerical simulation was developed leading to a law of error behaviour with observing conditions. In order to validate these results, recorded data obtained at the Calern observatory astrolabe (France) during the period 1996 – 1997 are used. A good agreement is observed with the simulation, which permit salso to give access to daily atmospheric time constants. (Co-author is A. Irbah, Algeria.)

1. An astronomical expedition from Pulkovo observatory in Bolivia, near Tarija was organized in 1982. The first telscope was an astrograph (D=23 cm, F=230 cm, field = 5x5 degrees). Sucsessful observations on this instrument are still being made. In all 7 astronomical instuments were installed. Now they are the National Bolivian Observatory.

The reporting period has shown that Space has become a firmly established domain in observational Astrophysics, also in the low energy astrophysics area. The launching of new spacecraft is always an important addition to the capabilities of the Astronomers, but the availability of space observatories is strongly affected by the fact that they disappear as their subsystems become damaged or, for other reasons, become inoperable. The relatively short life of astronomical space facilities has generated new dynamic in the life cycle of observational tools for the astronomer, rather different from that for ground facilities. Launch failures or the final in-orbit functionality verification can also very strongly affect the availability of observational capabilities in space astrophysics. The only spacecraft designed without this built-in life time restriction, is the Hubble Space Telescope, which can be serviced by the Space Shuttle.

The Sofia Sky Archive Data Center (SSADC) was developed on the base of the Wide-Field Plate Database (WFPDB – http://www.skyarchive.org) as a project of the Working Group on Sky Surveys, Commission 9 of the IAU, and is dedicated to saving plate collections. The center manages 12 PCs connected in a local computer network and a PDS 1010 microdensitometer donated by the European Southern Observatory. The main field of operation is the WFPDB development, plate digitization and image processing for different astronomical tasks in South- and East Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, etc.), and as a regional coordinator especially for the neighbour countries – Romania, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. The main problem in the way of the WFPDB development is the creation of the computer-readable plate catalogues of the original logbooks because the speed of converting the logbooks in a computer-readable form is very low. The message is: we have to find the way to accelerate this important part of the project where the role of the developing countries in this direction should be very important. (Co-authors are: K. Tsvetkova, K. Stavrev V. Popov, H. Lukarski, A. Borisova, M-E. S. Michailov and G. Borisov of Sofia, Bulgaria, and S. Christov, Bulgarian South-West University).

Four working groups and three task groups of IAU Commission 5 deal specifically with information handling, technical aspects of collection, archiving, storage and dissemination of data, with designations and classification of astronomical objects, with library services, editorial policies, computer communications, ad hoc methodologies, and with various standards, reference frames etc. Information about Commission 5 working and task groups and their activities may be found in http://nut.inasan.rssi.ru/IAU/.

Astronomy for developing countries must be simple, cheap and attractive. Advanced amateurs with small astronomical CCD instruments could be its base in these regions. Together with the astronomical community and professional astronomers of other countries, amateurs can solve a lot of practical tasks connected with the CCD observations of moving celestial bodies.

Throughout the triennium, Commission 6 has interacted with the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT), most ably headed by Brian Marsden. As will be seen from his report below, the use by scientists of the Circulars for rapid dissemination of astronomical and related news continues unabated.

Ulugh Beg Astronomical Institute (UBAI) of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences is one of the oldest scientific institutions not only in Uzbekistan, but in the whole of Central Asia as well. There are five departments in the institute. The main directions of research are solar physics, young non-stationary and close binary stars in star formation regions, satellite geodynamics, non-linear and non-stationary evolution of galaxies. Helioseismology studies carried out in the frame of the IRIS (International Research on the Interior of the Sun) and TON (Taiwan Oscillation Network) projects. Astrophysical programmes such as a search for periodicity in star-formation regions, study of close binary stars in the same regions, as well as in open clusters, CCD photometry of extra-galactic objects as gravitation lenses have been made at the Maidanak Observatory, which is located in the south-east of Uzbekistan. Monitoring of the seeing at Mt. Maidanak from 1996 to 1999, using ESO Differential Image Motion Monitor, showed that its atmospheric conditions are comparable with the best international observatories. The present status of the main fields of research and prospects are discussed. (Co-author is Shurat A. Ehgamberdiev, Uzbekistan.)

In recognition of its special interdisciplinary character, IAU Commission 14 is linked directly to the Executive Committee. The Commission’s role is to inform the astronomical community of new developments in the diverse fields of research which involve atoms and molecules. Conversely it endeavors to sensitize the research community active in those fields to the specific needs of astronomy, especially concerning basic data and modeling tools. More generally, Commission 14 tries to foster long term relations and collaborations between the two communities and, when necessary, to alert funding authorities to the specific needs of ground and space based astronomy for specific atomic and molecular data. This report is one of the main contributions of Commission 14 to the information of the astronomical community. Several meetings concerned, at least in part, with the need and availability of atomic and molecular data for astrophysics were also sponsored or co-sponsored. In the last triennium, Commission 14 cosponsored IAU Symposium 194 “Astrochemistry: From Molecular Cloud to Planetary Systems” held in Sogwipo (Korea) from Aug. 23 to 27, 1999 and organized by Commission 34. A Joint Discussion: JD1 on “Atomic and Molecular Data for Astrophysics, New Developments, Case Studies and Future Needs” has been planned for the XXIVth IAU General Assembly in Manchester (Aug. 7-19, 2000) and cosponsored by Commissions 15, 16, 29, 34, 36, 40 and 44. Several other Joint Discussions to be held at the Manchester General Assembly are co-sponsored by this commission.

Thirty five grants were made during the triennium October 1, 1996 to September 30, 1999. The astronomer, home country, and host country are listed below.

Astronomy in the territory of today’s Republic of Macedonia has a century-long history. This history is presented in the essay, begining with M. Trpkovic’s suggestions to reform the orthodox calendar in 1900s, through the foundation of the first faculty of Macedonian language in Skopje in 1946, until today’s situation in astronomy.

In second half of the twentieth century, the development of astronomy in the Republic of Macedonia is divided in two different periods: before and after the big earthquake in Skopje in 1963. The first period is characterized by hope and enthusiasm, and a little observatory was started to be built, but it was destroyed in the earthquake. The last ten years a new upsurge is seen in Astronomy in the Republic of Macedonia, which is founded on Balkan and international collaboration.

Commission 46 is dedicated to Teaching of Astronomy. Commission 46 can be seen as an extension of the IAU Executive Committee in the sense that each adhering country has appointed a national representative to the Commission. National Representatives maintain liaison between the Commission and the home country, and write national triennial reports on development of astronomy on their nations. Other IAU astronomers, with special interest in education, can become regular individual members of the Commission. Non-IAU members can be invited by the Commission to serve for one triennial term. Commission 46 considers that one of its major duties is to contribute to enhance astronomy education in developing countries. The Newsletter, the International School for Young Astronomers, the Visiting Lecturer Program and the Travelling Telescope are examples of such activities administered by the Commission. The strength of Commission 46 comes from the hard work that its members do in order to promote astronomy education worldwide.

Astronomy in Romania has an old tradition. After half a century of privations and isolation from the rest of the world, we believed that the changes undergone by our country in 1989 (and by the neighbour countries, as well) will be benefit for the Romanian astronomy, too. Indeed, it was, but for a very short period. The young people left the country, one by one, and others cannot accept the low salary offered by a research institute. The economy doesn’t allow us to enrich the astronomical endowment. Of course, we cannot close the observatories. We have to find other ways to save the astronomy in this part of Europe, especially in the epoch of the space astronomy.

The chief activities of the Commission for this period were the organizing of two important meetings. The first was held as Joint Discussion 5 at the Kyoto General Assembly in August 1997. The proceedings have now appeared as “Preserving the Astronomical Windows”, edited by S. Isobe (1997).

Our Department of Galactic astronomy and Cosmogony of the Astronomical Institude of Uzbek Academy of Sciences has rich photo meterials obtained over more than 100 years by two telescopes (Normal Astrograph with F= 3500 mm, D= 330 mm and Zeiss Double Astrograph with F= 3000 mm, D= 400 mm). The main objects studied are:

1. 1 Open and Globular star clusters,

2. 2 Regions of the Milky Way and the Pulkovo Observatory program.

3. 3 Comets and Asteroids

4. 4 Planets and their Satellites.

There are also astronomical data received in the framework of a number of International programmes. Now we are working out some research-complex programmes of these objects. We are ready to collaborate on these programmes.

The membership of the Commission, as of its 50th anniversary in 1998, stands at 146 members and 19 consultants. In order to increase communications, during the report period the President issued six Newsletters to Commission members, consultants, and IAU officers. In a further attempt to increase communications, Commission 41 also instituted a web site (http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/iaucomm41/) in early 1998. This was largely due to the efforts of C41 Organizing Committee member Wolfgang Dick and the kindness of Professor Peter Brosche in supplying space. The site not only contains the Newsletters, meeting notices, and a list of members, but also the Bibliography on History of Astronomy, compiled by Ruth Preitag of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The site also links to the history of astronomy site maintained for several years by the History of Astronomy Working Group of the Astronomische Gesellschaft, and now also maintained on behalf of Commission 41. These sites serve not only for better communication among Commission members, but also the broader history of astronomy community.

Galactic cluster studies and emission-line star surveys have conducted at the Bosscha Observatory since the establishment of Schmidt telescope in 1959. Though the mirror diameter is moderate, its coverage of 25 square degree sky area makes this telescope capable for survey works. Some results and plans will be given in the poster