The world’s largest conference on astronomy communication — Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2024 (CAP 2024) — will take place from 24 to 28 June 2024. It will be hosted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Commission C2 — Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) and the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) in Cité de l'espace in Toulouse, France. Professionals in science communication, informal education, planetariums and science centres, as well as professional and amateur astronomers, journalists and creative personalities are invited to the event to exchange ideas and best practices.

Under the central theme, Communicating Astronomy in a Hybrid World, the Scientific Organising Committee (SOC) is inviting proposals for oral presentations, posters, workshops, demonstrations, planetarium shows, networking events and panel discussions to be submitted online by 15 February 2024. The theme addresses how traditional methods of communication can be blended with modern, technology-driven approaches, to reach and effectively engage diverse audiences in the modern world.

In keeping with the central theme, the SOC is encouraging abstract submissions related to the following topics (please register first):

1. One Hundred Years of the Planetarium 
2. The Science of Astronomy Communication 
3. Interdisciplinary Astronomy Communication 
4. Innovations in Astronomy Outreach — Virtual and Other modes 
5. Communicating Astronomy Across Languages 
6. Networking and Collaboration in Astronomy Outreach 
7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Astronomy Communication

The organisers encourage participants to learn from peers, identify potential partners, strengthen links between science communicators, and address various strategies for effective communication of astronomy. 

Catering to all travel and mobility concerns and needs within our community, the conference will be organised as a hybrid event, both in-person and online, allowing each participant to enjoy the unique experience of joining CAP 2024 in the way that is most convenient for them.

In-person participants will have the opportunity to attend our gala dinner hosted at the Museum of Toulouse, book a post-conference tour of the Pic du Midi, and explore the various exhibitions of Cité de l'espace. Virtual participants will have access to exciting networking opportunities and online events throughout the conference.

The IAU will offer a small number of grants and fee waivers to selected participants from around the world. Email cap2024@oao.iau.org for queries.

Important dates:

• 15 February: Abstract submission deadline; grant application deadline.
• 31 March: Abstract and grant applicants notified of results.
• 24–28 June: CAP Conference 2024.

To stay up to date with the latest information for CAP 2024, please join the conference mailing list, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, or the hashtag #IAUCAP2024.

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.

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.

Located on the outskirts of Toulouse, France, Cité de l’espace is a scientific culture centre dedicated to the discovery of space and astronomy for all audiences. Since 1997, it has encouraged the curiosity of its visitors through its enthusiastic approach to space activities and phenomena. By favouring participation, experience and immersion, it offers its audiences a lively, accessible and often sensory discovery of science and space culture. Cité de l’espace designs its exhibitions and events in close collaboration with French, European and international space agencies, laboratories, manufacturers and all the stakeholders in the space sector, offering a realistic approach to astronomy and space science.

Links

• Pre-registration, abstract submission and grant application
• Conference Facebook page 
• Conference Twitter/X account 
• Sign up to the CAP Conference mailing list

Contacts

Ramasamy Venugopal
CAP 2024 SOC Co-Chair
IAU Office of Astronomy for Development
Tel: +27 60 776 3832
Email: rv@astro4dev.org 

Samir Dhurde
CAP 2024 SOC Co-Chair
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Tel: +91 8983336912
Email: samir@iucaa.in  

Kelly Blumenthal
CAP 2024 SOC Co-Chair & OAO Director
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach
Tel: +81-(0)422-34-3966
Email: blumenthal.kelly@oao.iau.org  

Ines Prieto
CAP 2024 LOC Co-Chair
Cité de l’espace
Email: cap2024@semeccel.com  

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