The restructuring of our commission, adopted at the last General Assembly, was undoubtedly beneficial and various activities were developed under the aegis of the commission.

Two very important changes have marked the last triennium: the World Wide Web and electronic publishing. The American Astronomical Society is the first to have introduced an electronic version of an astronomical journal and will be followed soon by the Astronomy and Astrophysics Journal. Last February, an ICSU/UNESCO Conference was held in Paris on this topic. A.G. Hearn was the IAU representative. An extensive report of this meeting can also be found on the Web (http://astro.fys.ruu.nl:8000/iau) and the proceedings are available also on the Web (http://www.lmcp.jussieu.fr/icsu/Information/index.html. A Joint Discussion on this very hot topic will be held during the Kyoto General Assembly.

As a result of the deliberations and discussions during the last General Assembly of the IAU in The Hague, it was recommended that Commission 14 become a commission of the Executive Committee. The special interdisciplinary role and nature of Comm. 14 were in this way recognized and encouraged.

Education is important to astronomers because it affects the recruitment and training of future astronomers, and because it affects the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of astronomy by taxpayers and politicians.

There are many other reasons why astronomy should be part of education and culture. Astronomy is deeply rooted in the history of almost every society, as a result of its practical applications and its philosophical implications. It still has everyday applications to calendars and timekeeping, navigation, seasons and climate. It has longer-term applications to climate change and biological extinctions. Astronomy advances the other sciences, and is a dynamic science in its own right. It deals with our place in time and space, our cosmic roots, and our kinship with other peoples and species on earth. It reveals a universe which is vast, varied, and beautiful, and it promotes curiosity, imagination, and a sense of shared exploration and discovery. It provides an enjoyable hobby for millions of people. In a school context, it provides an alternative approach to the scientific method - the observational (as opposed to experimental) approach. It can attract young people to study science and technology. It can promote rational thinking, and it can increase public interest in science and technology. These benefits are important in all countries, both developed and developing.

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.

The Antarctic plateau provides the best site conditions on the Earth for a wide range of astronomical observations, both of photons and particles. This is a result of the unique combination of cold, dry and tenuous air found only there. Wintertime temperatures average below -60˚C, with minimal diurnal variation, the precipitable water vapour content is below 250 μm, the katabatic wind is low on top of the plateau and there are no jet streams at high altitude. The vast quantities of pure ice can be used as an absorber for particle detectors. Secondary benefits include continuous viewing for any source visible, lack of pollution and dust in the atmosphere, and low electromagnetic interference. Considerable activity is now focussed at the South Pole on developing facilities for astronomy. Initial investigations of higher sites have begun, particularly at Dome C.

Since the 22nd IAU General Assembly in the Hague in 1994, WGPSN has conducted most of its business by e-mail and fax. Ad hoc WG meetings were held on July 10, 1996 in Versailles and on July 17 in Birmingham during, respectively, the Asteroids, Comets and Meteors meeting and the 31st COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Seven members of the WG and two members of the adhering Nomenclature Task Groups attended one of the nomenclature meetings or both.

During the past triennium some effort has been put into setting up what we hope will be an effective Working Group which currently has the above composition. Membership includes the Presidents of Commissions 38 and 46 ex-officio, so some regular change is built in every three years, as these Presidents change. Thanks are due to R. Kippenhahn, P. Lena, and J. Sahade, members of the original Working Group, who have retired from its active membership. The Chairman retains an extensive mailing list of about some 100 names. All those on that list will continue to receive the WG Newsletter. The present system is to mail one Newsletter annually, in April. At the time of writing, two such mailings have been made since the last General Assembly.

The programme of scientific meetings is one of the most important means by which the IAU pursues its goal of promoting the science of astronomy through international collaboration. A large fraction of the Union’s budget is devoted to the support of the IAU scientific meetings. The Executive Committee (EC) places great emphasis on maintaining high scientific standards, coverage of a balanced spectrum of subjects, and an appropriately international flavour for the programme of meetings sponsored by the IAU.

The idea for a Working Group (WG) on “Future Large Scale Facilities in Astronomy” grew from a discussion held on 20 August, 1994, during the IAU General Assembly in The Hague. The IAU Executive Committee approved its formation in August, 1995, and its composition in October, 1995. The WG will remain active at least until the XXIIIrd General Assembly in Kyoto in 1997. Members are: H. Butcher (Chairman), R. Ekers, B. Fort, N. Kardashev, M. Longair, F. Pacini, L. Rodriguez, G. Swarup, Y. Tanaka, H. Tananbaun, and L. Woltjer (ex officio). The WG carries out its work mostly by email and FAX.