From 12 to 16 September 2022, Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Commission C2 — Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) and the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, will host the world’s largest conference on astronomy communication: Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2022 (CAP 2022). Professionals from science communication, informal education, planetariums and science centres, as well as professional and amateur astronomers, journalists and creative personalities, are invited to attend the conference to exchange ideas and best practices.

Under the central theme of Communicating Astronomy for a Better World, the Scientific Organising Committee (SOC) is inviting proposals for oral presentations, posters, workshops and panel discussions to be submitted online by 14 May 2022. The theme recognises the significance of astronomy and science communication in a world besieged by crises. What role can astronomy communication play? Where is it most effective? How should astronomy communicators collaborate with the broader science communication and scientific communities?

Given the rich wealth of indigenous knowledge and culture in Australia, the SOC also welcomes contributions related to indigenous astronomy, cultural astronomy and archaeo-astronomy, as well as a number of other topics such as:

1. Current Challenges in Astronomy Communication
2. Best Practices in Public Outreach
3. Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Empathy in Communicating Astronomy
4. The Media’s Role in Astronomy Communication
5. Using Multimedia, Social Media, Immersive Environments and other Technologies for Public Engagement with Astronomy
6. Astronomy and Climate Change communication
7. Astronomy Communication to Promote Peace
8. The Role of Astronomy in Bridging Cultures 
9. Communicating Astronomy in the Asia–Pacific Region

The organisers encourage learning from peers, identifying potential partners, and strengthening links between Asia–Pacific and international science communicators.

Catering to all travel and mobility concerns and needs from our community, the conference will be organised as a hybrid event, both face to face and online, allowing each participant to enjoy the unique experience of joining CAP 2022 in the most convenient way for them.

Those attending in person will be able to book a post-conference tour of various sites of astronomical interest. These include the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) world-class Parkes Observatory, home to the 64-metre Parkes radio telescope, the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO), CSIRO’s Australia Telescope Compact Array, and the world-class Blue Mountains National Park. Participants remaining in Sydney are expected to be given priority access to the completely renovated historical Sydney Observatory, with visits to the CSIRO control room and the AAO instrumentation workshops also being offered. In addition, Macquarie University will organise its enormously popular annual Astronomy Open Night on Saturday 17 September, immediately after the conclusion of the conference. Finally, the SOC is planning a pre-conference training and workshop for in-person participants in Sydney.

The International Astronomical Union will offer a small number of grants and/or fee waivers to selected participants from around the world. Email cap2022@oao.iau.org for queries.

Important dates:
14 May: Abstract submission deadline; grant application deadline.
31 May: Abstract and grant applicants notified of results.
4 September: Final registration deadline.
12–16 September: CAP Conference 2022.

To stay up to date with the latest information for CAP 2022, please join the conference mailing list, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or the hashtag #IAUCAP2022.

More Information:

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 12 000 active professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) is a joint project of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The mission of the OAO is to engage the public in astronomy through access to astronomical information and communication of the science of astronomy. This is implemented through a network of IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs) and the IAU’s public engagement initiatives. The work of the OAO is about building bridges between the IAU and the global astronomy community of amateur astronomers, outreach professionals, educators, communicators, and the general public, and through international collaboration, to make the science of astronomy accessible to all.

Established in 1964, Macquarie University began as a bold experiment in higher education. Built to break from traditions: to be distinctive, progressive, and to be transformational. Today our pioneering history continues to be a source of inspiration as we celebrate our place among the best and brightest minds. Our research is leading the way in groundbreaking discoveries. Our academics are at the forefront of innovation and, as accomplished researchers, we are embracing the opportunity to tackle the big issues of our time.

The IAU Commission C2 is a think/do-tank that convenes the astronomy communication community and seeds initiatives to explore new ways to communicate astronomy with the public. Its mission is to: encourage and enable a much larger fraction of the astronomical community to take an active role in explaining what we do (and why) to our fellow citizens; act as an international, impartial coordinating entity that furthers the recognition of outreach and public communication on all levels in astronomy; encourage international collaborations on outreach and public communication; endorse standards, best practices and requirements for public communication.

Links

• Registration, Abstract submission and Grant application
• Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2022 
• Conference Facebook page 
• Conference Twitter account 
• Sign up to the CAP Conference mailing list 

Contacts

Ramasamy Venugopal
CAP 2022 SOC Co-Chair
IAU Office of Astronomy for Development
Tel: +27 60 776 3832
Email: rv@astro4dev.org

Samir Dhurde
CAP 2022 SOC Co-Chair
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Tel: +91 8983336912
Email: samir@iucaa.in

Lina Canas
CAP 2022 SOC Co-Chair & OAO Director
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach
Tel: +81-(0)422-34-3966
Email: lina.canas@nao.ac.jp

Richard de Grijs
CAP 2022 LOC Chair
Macquarie University
Tel: +61 2 9850 8317
Email: richard.de-grijs@mq.edu.au 

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Director of Communications
Cell: +1 520 461 0433/+49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars.christensen@noirlab.edu