Commission 50: Protection and Identification of Existing and Potential Astronomical Observational Sites

Extract

During the past triennium many efforts have been made by individual members and Commission 50 to keep a good observational environment, along the lines set up by the previous Commission 50 president, P. Murdin. The number of commission members is 65, which is unchanged from the previous period. Since our problems become more severe year by year and are connected directly to the activities of all observational astronomers and indirectly to those of all theoreticians, the commission should have made an effort to increase the number of active members.

The book “Adverse Environmental Impact on Astronomy” edited by D. McNally was published by Cambridge University Press in 1994. This book is a direct output of a meeting held by UNESCO, ICSU and IAU at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris from June 30 to July 2 in 1992, and shows nearly all the problems which we are facing.