Thirty years after the first International Astronomical Union general assembly in Australia, another was held, again in Sydney. Organisation of the 2003 general assembly was complex as the IAU and would-be participants had much greater expectations than at the previous event. Australia had been awarded the 2003 general assembly six years earlier during the assembly at Kyoto, Japan. Full advantage was taken of the intervening time with the setting up of a National Organising Committee that planned the conference together with a professional conference organiser. Formal responsibility for the conference was undertaken by the Astronomical Society of Australia since that role had to be undertaken by a legally constituted body. As the date of the general assembly approached there were fears of insufficient registered participants to cover expenses due to the discouragement of international travel by terrorist incidents, the Iraq war and, especially, the SARS epidemic. In the end, the conference had a good response so that it could go ahead with an opening at the Sydney Opera House and could offer a wide-ranging scientific program. There were numerous related meetings, such as those on women in astronomy, astronomical education and light pollution. As well, an extensive outreach program brought astronomy not only to people in Sydney, but to people around the country.

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澳大利亚和国际天文学联合会：2003 年悉尼大会

第一届国际天文学联合会大会在澳大利亚举行 30 年后，又在悉尼举行了另一次大会。2003 年大会的组织很复杂，因为 IAU 和潜在参与者的期望比上一次活动要高得多。六年前，澳大利亚在日本京都的大会期间获得了 2003 年大会的奖项。充分利用了中间时间，成立了一个国家组委会，与专业的会议组织者一起计划会议。会议的正式责任由澳大利亚天文学会承担，因为该角色必须由合法组成的机构承担。随着大会日期的临近，由于恐怖事件、伊拉克战争、特别是非典疫情阻碍了国际旅行，人们担心注册参与者不足以支付费用。最终，会议反响良好，可以继续在悉尼歌剧院开幕，并提供广泛的科学节目。有许多相关的会议，例如关于天文学中的女性、天文教育和光污染的会议。此外，一项广泛的外展计划不仅将天文学带给了悉尼的人们，也为全国各地的人们带来了天文学。会议反响良好，因此可以在悉尼歌剧院开幕，并提供广泛的科学节目。有许多相关的会议，例如关于天文学中的女性、天文教育和光污染的会议。此外，一项广泛的外展计划不仅将天文学带给了悉尼的人们，也为全国各地的人们带来了天文学。会议反响良好，因此可以在悉尼歌剧院开幕，并提供广泛的科学节目。有许多相关的会议，例如关于天文学中的女性、天文教育和光污染的会议。此外，一项广泛的外展计划不仅将天文学带给了悉尼的人们，也为全国各地的人们带来了天文学。