In 1923 the first planetarium projector was unveiled in Jena, Germany, and just two years later the first planetarium opened its doors to the public in Munich. From 2023 to 2025, the world is celebrating 100 years of storytelling, learning, and exploration under the dome.

To mark this occasion, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) is releasing a special double feature of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal (CAPjournal); issue #33 will explore the myriad creative uses of the planetarium, from pedagogical tools to venues for accessible astronomy, while issue #34 will showcase the diversity of the planetarium through a collection of stories.

The International Planetarium Society (IPS), with its network of over 400 planetariums worldwide, has already begun to engage planetariums of all types and sizes in the festivities surrounding the 100-year anniversary. The OAO is excited to have the opportunity to work with the IPS to celebrate and honour the work of planetariums across the globe.

At a time when light pollution is threatening our night skies, planetariums can serve as dark sky oases — places that can inspire all audiences with the wonder of the night sky. We encourage everyone to read these articles, to discover how pivotal a planetarium can be within its community, and to reconnect with their local planetarium during this two-year celebration.

As a note to our readers and potential authors, although CAPjournal is usually fully peer-reviewed, issue #34 is an exception to our new guidelines for submission. We welcome submissions on a rolling basis and invite everyone to learn about our new Submission Guidelines for peer review on our website: www.capjournal.org.

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.

Links

• CAPjournal issue 33
• CAPjournal issue 34
• Subscribe to the online or print version of the CAPjournal
• CAPjournal past issues

Contacts

Kelly Blumenthal
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, Director
CAPjournal, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor
Email: capjournal@oao.iau.org 

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