Dear friends and colleagues,

On 21–25 September 2020, Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, will host the world’s largest conference on astronomy communication: Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2020 (CAP 2020). Professionals from science communication, informal education, planetaria and science centres, as well as professional and amateur astronomers, journalists and creative types, are invited to attend the conference to exchange ideas and best practices. Under the central theme of “Communicating Astronomy for a better world: environment, culture and peace”, the Scientific Organising Committee (SOC) is inviting proposals for oral presentations, posters, and workshops to be submitted online by 15 March 2020.

The topics for the conference are:

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;
7. Astronomy Communication to Promote Peace;
8. The Role of Astronomy in Bridging Cultures;
9. Communicating Astronomy in the Asia–Pacific Region.

Participants will also have the opportunity to add their own topics for discussion during the event’s “unconference” slots. Networking activities will encourage learning from peers, identifying potential partners, and strengthening the links between Asia–Pacific and international science communicators.

The SOC is also planning two special sessions:

      10. The legacy of the IAU100 Celebrations;
      11. Communicating Astronomy: The IAU Strategic Plan 2020-2030.

The International Astronomical Union will offer a small number of grants or fee waivers to selected participants from around the world. The deadline for application is 15 March 2020.

The CAP 2020 conference is organised by the IAU Commission C2: Communicating Astronomy with the Public, in cooperation with Macquarie University. To stay up to date with the latest information for CAP 2020, please join our CAP Conference mailing list, follow our Facebook page, our Twitter feed, or the hashtag #CAP2020.

For queries regarding the scientific content of the conference or international media requests, please email cap2020 [at] oao.iau.org. 

Looking forward to meeting you all in Australia!
Lina Canas, Ramasamy Venugopal, and Oana Sandu, on behalf of the CAP2020 Scientific Organising Committee