Astronomy isthemostancientsciencehumanshavepracticedonEarth. Itisascienceofextremesandoflargenumbers:extremesoftime-fromthe big bang to in?nity -, of distances, of temperatures, of density and masses, ofmagnetic?eld,etc.Itisasciencewhichishighlyvisible,notonlybecause stars and planets are accessible in the sky to the multitude, but also - cause the telescopes themselves are easily distinguishable, usually on top of scenic mountains, and also because their cost usually represent a subst- tialproportionofthenation'sbudgetandofthetaxpayerscontributionsto that budget. As such, astronomy cannot pass unnoticed. It touches on the origins of matter, of the Universe where we live, on life and on our destiny. It touches on philosophy as well as on religion. Astronomy is the direct c- tactofhumankindwithitsoriginsandtheimmensityofuniversalnature.It is indeed a science of observation where experimentation is practically - possible and which is ruled by mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistical analysis and modelling, while o?ering the largest number of veri?cations of the most advanced theories of fundamental physics such as general r- st ativity and gravitation. At the beginning of the 21 century astronomy is clearly a multidisciplinary activity touching on all aspects of science. It is therefore logical that in the past and still now, astronomy has attracted the most famous scientists, be they pure observers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, experimentalists, and even politicians.

Astronomy isthemostancientsciencehumanshavepracticedonEarth. Itisascienceofextremesandoflargenumbers:extremesoftime–fromthe big bang to in?nity –, of distances, of temperatures, of density and masses, ofmagnetic?eld,etc.Itisasciencewhichishighlyvisible,notonlybecause stars and planets are accessible in the sky to the multitude, but also - cause the telescopes themselves are easily distinguishable, usually on top of scenic mountains, and also because their cost usually represent a subst- tialproportionofthenation’sbudgetandofthetaxpayerscontributionsto that budget. As such, astronomy cannot pass unnoticed. It touches on the origins of matter, of the Universe where we live, on life and on our destiny. It touches on philosophy as well as on religion. Astronomy is the direct c- tactofhumankindwithitsoriginsandtheimmensityofuniversalnature.It is indeed a science of observation where experimentation is practically - possible and which is ruled by mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistical analysis and modelling, while o?ering the largest number of veri?cations of the most advanced theories of fundamental physics such as general r- st ativity and gravitation. At the beginning of the 21 century astronomy is clearly a multidisciplinary activity touching on all aspects of science. It is therefore logical that in the past and still now, astronomy has attracted the most famous scientists, be they pure observers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, experimentalists, and even politicians.

EDITORIAL.- BRITISH ASTRONOMY.- ASTRONOMY, ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE PHYSICS IN GREECE.- ASTRONOMY IN UKRAINE.- FOCUSSING EUROPEAN ASTRONOMY – ESO’S IN THE ‘COMEBACK’ OF EUROPEAN ASTRONOMY.- THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE (ISSI) - AN INTERVIEW WITH ROGER M. BONNET.- THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY (ISU).- EUROPLANET: EUROPEAN PLANETOLOGY NETWORK.- RADIONET: ADVANCED RADIO ASTRONOMY ACROSS EUROPE.- SELECTING AND SCHEDULING OBSERVING PROPOSALS AT NRAO TELESCOPES.- SELECTING AND SCHEDULING OBSERVATIONS AT THE IRAM OBSERVATORIES.- SELECTING, SCHEDULING AND CARRYING OUT OBSERVING PROGRAMMES AT CFHT.- THE SCHOLARLY JOURNALS OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.- MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.- ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS - A JOURNAL OF ASTRONOMERS FOR ASTRONOMERS.- LISA – THE LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES IN ASTRONOMY CONFERENCES.- THE ADS SUCCESS STORY – AN INTERVIEW WITH GUNTHER EICHHORNÜ.- THE PROGRESSIVE WORLD PENETRATION OF THE STRASBOURG ASTRONOMICAL DATA CENTER (1970-1990).- THE GENESIS OF THE IAU WORKING GROUP ON ASTRONOMICAL DATA.- BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES FOR ASTRONOMERS.- GERMAN ASTRONOMY IN THE THIRD REICH.- THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE.- THINKING LIKE AN ASTRONOMER.- MERCURY MAGAZINE: THE INCARNATION OF A SOCIETY.- STERNE UND WELTRAUM - A POPULAR MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO SCIENCE AND ITS USE IN SCHOOL TEACHING.- COMMUNICATING ASTRONOMY WITH THE PUBLIC AND THE WASHINGTON CHARTER.- COMMUNICATING X-RAY ASTRONOMY.- ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAM AT GEMINI OBSERVATORY – A CASE STUDY.- PUBLIC OUTREACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MCDONALD OBSERVATORY – A BRIEF HISTORY AND CURRENT OVERVIEW.- THE EUROPLANETARIUM GENK – THE STORY OF A PLANETARIUM.- THE INSAP V EXPERIENCE ON ART AND ASTRONOMY.-WHAT DOES THE NEW CLIMATE FOR DIALOGUE AND DEBATE MEAN FOR COMMUNICATING ASTRONOMY?.- COMMUNICATING ASTRONOMY – SUCCESSES AND LIMITS.

Astronomy isthemostancientsciencehumanshavepracticedonEarth. Itisascienceofextremesandoflargenumbers:extremesoftime–fromthe big bang to in?nity –, of distances, of temperatures, of density and masses, ofmagnetic?eld,etc.Itisasciencewhichishighlyvisible,notonlybecause stars and planets are accessible in the sky to the multitude, but also - cause the telescopes themselves are easily distinguishable, usually on top of scenic mountains, and also because their cost usually represent a subst- tialproportionofthenation’sbudgetandofthetaxpayerscontributionsto that budget. As such, astronomy cannot pass unnoticed. It touches on the origins of matter, of the Universe where we live, on life and on our destiny. It touches on philosophy as well as on religion. Astronomy is the direct c- tactofhumankindwithitsoriginsandtheimmensityofuniversalnature.It is indeed a science of observation where experimentation is practically - possible and which is ruled by mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistical analysis and modelling, while o?ering the largest number of veri?cations of the most advanced theories of fundamental physics such as general r- st ativity and gravitation. At the beginning of the 21 century astronomy is clearly a multidisciplinary activity touching on all aspects of science. It is therefore logical that in the past and still now, astronomy has attracted the most famous scientists, be they pure observers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, experimentalists, and even politicians.