Between 25-29 May, 2026, the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and the Armenian Astronomical Society, in collaboration with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Commission C2 – Communicating Astronomy with the Public and the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, will host the next Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) Conference online and in-person in Yerevan, Armenia.
Professionals in science and astronomy communication, informal education, planetaria and science centres, professional and amateur astronomers, journalists, and creative personalities are invited to attend this conference and contribute to the growth and knowledge exchange within our community.
Conference Website – https://capconferences.org/2026/
The theme for this year’s conference is Democratising Astronomy Communication in the era of accessible Artificial Intelligence, provoking a series of topics that are very relevant to science communicators worldwide. The core topics that will be discussed at the conference are:
1. AI and social media in Astronomy communication
2. The science and practice of Astronomy communication
3. Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Astronomy communication
4. Hands-on / Exhibit development
5. Contributions of writing and journalism for Astronomy communication
6. Astronomy communication for underserved communities
7. Inclusive Astronomy tools for people with disabilities and the neurodiverse
8. Communicating Astronomy in Central Asia and the Middle East
9. Evaluating impact: Measuring outreach success
The organisers invite proposals for oral presentations, posters, workshops, demonstrations, networking events and panel discussions to be submitted online by 17 October 2025.
Important dates:
In-person attendees will have the opportunity to attend various field visits and social events. Virtual participants will have access to exciting networking opportunities and online events throughout the conference.
The Venue of the meeting is the Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton , which is located in the heart of capital of Armenia – Yerevan. English will the working language of the Conference. The International Astronomical Union will offer a small number of grants and fee waivers to selected participants from around the world. All details are available at the Conference website. Please fill the Registration Form to start your participation.
To stay up to date with the latest information for CAP 2026, please join the conference mailing list, follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, or the hashtag #IAUCAP2026. Email cap2026@oao.iau.org for queries.
More Information:
The Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) Conference is the only large-scale, international conference for astronomy communication. The conference aims to promote the exchange of best practices and trends in public communication and encourage international collaborations in outreach and public communication.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) brings together more than 13,000 professional astronomers from 85 countries. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. The IAU Commission C2 aims to encourage and enable a much larger fraction of the astronomical community to take an active role in explaining what astronomers do (and why) to our fellow citizens. It encourages international collaborations, endorses standards, best practices and requirements, and furthers the recognition of outreach and public communication of all levels of astronomy.
Located on the picturesque southern slope of Mount Aragats in the village of Byurakan in Armenia, the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Armenian Academy of Sciences. It was founded in 1946 on the initiative of academician Victor Ambartsumian. The observatory is an important observatory with modern facilities in the region including 12 observational instruments. In 2016, International Astronomical Union recognized the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory as the initiator of astronomical tourism (AstroTourism) in the world.
Contacts:
Samir Dhurde
CAP 2026 SOC Chair
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Email: samir@iucaa.in
Avivah Yamani
CAP 2026 SOC Co-Chair
Langiselatan, Indonesia
Email: rv@astro4dev.org
Naomi Asabre Frimpong
CAP 2026 SOC Co-Chair
Deputy Director, IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach
Email: naomi.asabrefrimpong@oao.iau.org
Areg Mickaelian
CAP 2026 LOC Chair
Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory
Yerevan, Armenia
Email: aregmick@yahoo.com