The meeting was attended by 5 members of the WG (E. Bowell, G. Consolmagno, R. Courtain, R. Lopez, R. Schulz) one Task Group member (J. Watanabe), and several guests from the CSBN and CBAT. It was decided at the beginning of the meeting that the attending members of the WGPSN would discuss matters, provide their opinion or vote, and then ask the other 8 formal members to do the same via email. As a consequence the following discussed items have been agreed by majority vote of the WG members.

The meeting was opened by Ted Bowell, president, at 11 am. The 2006 Division III meetings were reviewed by Guy Consolmagno, secretary; as the minutes of those meetings have already been published, they were assumed to be approved.

The Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature (WG-PSN) develops, maintains and publishes guidelines for naming natural satellites of planets and surface features on all solar system bodies except Earth. When required the WG approves lists of new nomenclature, with accompanying explanatory notes, based on the established guidelines. Approved names are immediately added into the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Objections based on significant, substantive problems may be submitted within a 3-months period, and will be ruled on by Division III.

Division III's activities focus on a broad range of astronomical research on bodies in the solar system (excluding the Sun), on extrasolar planets, and on the search for life in the Universe.

The meeting was attended by six from the WG (K. Aksnes, J. Blunck, G. Consolmagno, B. Marsden, R. Schulz, V. Shevchenko) and two from the Task Groups (D. Morrison, J. Watanabe). Also the incoming WG members E. Bowell and R. Courtin, as well as some guests, attended.

Since the IAU General Assembly in Sydney in July 2003, the WGPSN has conducted its business through numerous e-mail exchanges between the members. A nomenclature workshop was held at Hardingasete, western Norway on September 1–3, 2005. That meeting was attended by eight members from the WG and two from the Task Groups (TG) for the small bodies and for the outer solar system. Input to the meeting had also been received by e-mail from other members.

A space mission to Mars’ moon Phobos with a space vehicle of new generation currently developed by the Russian Aerospace Agency is discussed. The vehicle design incorporates innovative SEP technology focused on small propulsion electric engines which significantly improve the mission energetic capability. The project is optimized around a sample return (PSR) from Phobos and also offers an opportunity for rendezvous/sample return missions from several asteroids, comets, and NEO. Scenario, rationale, and basic profile of PSR mission are presented.

Since July 1996, 815 new names on features on bodies in the Solar System have been assigned by the WGPSN and approved at the IAU General Assembly in Kyoto in 1997. Of these names, 666 were for Venus, 17 for Mars, 3 for the Moon, 125 for the Galilean satellites, 3 for the Uranian satellite Miranda, and 1 for the minor planet Ida. 71 additional names mostly on Venus have been selected and have been given or are awaiting provisional approval by the IAU Executive Committee (EC). These names are up for final approval at the next IAU General Assembly.

This report includes a number of achievements in planetary science in the last approximately three years. Each section was contributed by the scientists identified at the end of that section.

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death on 24 August 1990 of the WG’s President, Harold Masursky, at the age of 66. Dr. Masursky is known for his many contributions in planetary science and for his many years of dedicated work in planetary nomenclature. During the interim until the next IAU General Assembly the IAU Executive Committee has appointed K. Aksnes as Acting President of the WG.

Since the General Assembly at New Delhi in November 1985, the Working Group held two meetings within six weeks of each other; most members of the Working Group and several members of Task Groups were able to attend at least one of these meetings. The thirteenth meeting of the Working Group was held at Toulouse, France on June 30 to July 2,1986; the fourteenth meeting was held at Moscow, USSR, on August 10,1986; the fifteenth meeting took place from August 13 to 15 in Soviet Armenia.

Since the last General Assembly in Patras, Greece, we have held three meetings of the Working Group. The 10th Meeting was held in Mzkheta, the ancient capital of Georgia, USSR, hosted by their Academy of Sciences on April 3-7, 1984. All members except one, who was represented by a member of his Task Group, were present at the very productive meeting.

Measurements of the downward light flux during the descent from an altitude of 50 km to the ground have been made. Atmospheric layers with different optical thicknesses have been discovered. The optical properties of Venus atmosphere for different cloud models have been studied.