First Virtual CAP Conference — Summary, Playback Videos & Feedback
The ninth Communicating Astronomy with the Public Conference (CAP) 2021 was organised virtually for the first time between 24 and 27 May 2021. Held over different time zones to accommodate participants from around the globe, the conference attracted 1346 registrations from 87 countries, a record by far for any CAP edition ever held.
#VirtualCAP2021 was organised under the theme of “Communicating Astronomy with the Public in the Age of Global Crises”, acknowledging the challenges our community had to face during recent times and promoting the ways in which our community has adapted.
The conference featured four keynote speakers:
– John Besley, Ellis N. Brandt Professor of Public Relations, Michigan State University, USA — Communication strategies for scientists and science communicators (Kavli Keynote)
– Ewine van Dishoeck, President of the International Astronomical Union — IAU100: Celebrating a century of progress in astronomy
– Prajval Shastri, Adjunct Professor at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Australia — Our Obligations while Crafting our Science Communication Practice: Lessons from Investigating Gender Inequity
– Travis Rector, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, USA, — Astronomy’s place in the fight against climate change
The conference also included 16 plenary talks, 163 oral presentations, 4 panel discussions, 5 workshops, and 75 digital posters. The recorded talks, panel discussions and video posters can now be watched on the CAP YouTube channel.
#VirtualCAP2021 had a high level of participation and engagement despite our challenging times. Over the 4 days of the conference, 863 participants tuned in for the keynotes and plenary talks while 699 participants joined the 40 parallel sessions for oral presentations, workshops, and panel discussions. More than 550 participants viewed and interacted with the e-posters. The networking sessions were also popular with more than 500 participants making use of the one-on-one quick introductions feature of the conference platform.
The virtual CAP Conference was not deprived of the occasional technical issues encountered in online settings, but thanks to our supportive community and the help of many volunteers, the overall experience was positive. To continue improving the CAP Conferences, the IAU C2 Working Group would really appreciate participants’ feedback on the conference by filling out this online form.
The CAP Conference series is organised by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), through Commission C2 — Communicating Astronomy with the Public The Scientific Programme of the conference was led by the C2 CAP Conference Working Group whom we would like to thank for their guidance and hard work. For this edition, a Virtual Organising Committee was put together, all based on volunteers from the community, whom we would also like to thank immensely as this edition would not have been possible without their around the clock support, dedication and enthusiasm.
We would also like to thank The Kavli Foundation which has provided a grant to strengthen the IAU’s public engagement programmes and scientific meetings. Thanks to its generous support, registration for CAP 2021 was free to all attendees.
We would like to thank our partners, the National Astronomical of Japan who hosts the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, and Haus der Astronomie who hosts the IAU Office for Astronomy Education for their essential in-kind support.
Finally, we would like to thank our community for participating and sharing their insights with their peers, making the CAP conference the valuable meeting that it is for astronomy communicators worldwide.
The next edition of the CAP Conference will be organised in Sydney, Australia. The provisionary date is autumn of 2022, pending new developments of the pandemic situation. To stay informed on the CAP conference, check our website.
Largest conference for astronomy communicators attracts record attendance for its first virtual edition
This Monday, 24 May 2021, the ninth Communicating Astronomy with the Public Conference (CAP) 2021 and the first virtual one ever #VirtualCAP2021 will open its broadcast. This is the largest CAP Conference ever, with over 1200 participants from 84 countries registering to attend.
For the first time ever, the CAP Conference is organised virtually, as a result of the pandemic. The conference will last four days, from Monday, 24 May until Thursday, 27 May, with each day scheduled in a different timezone to allow our global CAP community to participate at a time suitable to them.
- Day 1, 13:00 – 18:00 UTC — 24 May 2021
- Day 2, 07:00 – 12:00 UTC — 25 May 2021
- Day 3, 01:00 – 06:00 UTC — 26 May 2021
- Day 4, 19:00 – 00:00 UTC — 27 May 2021
Thanks to generous support from The Kavli Foundation, which has provided a grant to strengthen the IAU’s public engagement programmes and scientific meetings, registration for CAP 2021 was free to all attendees.
CAP 2021 is organised under the main theme of “Communicating Astronomy with the Public in the Age of Global Crises”, acknowledging the challenges our community had to face during recent times and promoting the ways in which our community has adapted.
For the first time ever the CAP Conference will not be organised by thematic sessions, but by time zone availability of speakers. This will result in sessions with very mixed topics, which can be an opportunity for participants to be exposed to different subjects. Participants can also opt to attend talks in multiple sessions, according to their preference.
The conference will feature four keynote speakers:
- John Besley, Ellis N. Brandt Professor of Public Relations, Michigan State University, USA — Communication strategies for scientists and science communicators (Kavli Keynote)
- Ewine van Dishoeck, President of the International Astronomical Union — IAU100: Celebrating a century of progress in astronomy
- Prajval Shastri, Adjunct Professor at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Australia — Our Obligations while Crafting our Science Communication Practice: Lessons from Investigating Gender Inequity
- Travis Rector, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, USA, — Astronomy’s place in the fight against climate change
Each day will start with a plenary session that will include the keynote speaker, as well as 4-5 plenary talks in a combination of live and pre-recorded talks. 161 oral presentations will be delivered in parallel sessions, which will take place each day after the plenary. These talks have been pre-recorded by the presenters and will be streamed on the conference platform at the allotted time. Attendees will thus be able to watch the (recorded) talks during the conference. Oral presentations will be grouped into 4 or 5 per session and there will be a live Q&A for those presenters at the end of each session.
There will be about 90 posters at the conference in the form of short, pre-recorded videos or Google slides. There is a dedicated section on the conference platform to display the posters which can be viewed at any time. Attendees will be able to contact the poster author or leave a message for them.
The conference will also feature five workshops and four panel discussions, each 1 hour long.
Insights from the conference will be published on the conference Twitter channel @CAPConference using the hashtag #VirtualCAP2021. Those interested in the conference are invited to also follow the conference Facebook page, join the CAP mailing list, where they can find out about future editions and follow the dedicated C2 website section.
The CAP Conference series is organised by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), through Commission C2 — Communicating Astronomy with the Public. The Scientific Programme of the conference was led by the C2 CAP Conference Working Group. For this edition, a Virtual Organising Committee was put together, all based on volunteers for the community, which we would like to thank immensely as this edition would not have been possible without their support and dedication.
1 Week To Go Until CAP2021Virtual
The CAP2021 Virtual conference will begin in one week on May 24, 2021. The conference will be held over 4 days, from May24 to 27, with each day organized in a different timezone. This will allow our global CAP community from all around the globe to participate in a time suitable to them.
CAP2021 will be run at different times each day.
Day 1, 13:00 – 18:00 UTC — 24 May 2021
Day 2, 07:00 – 12:00 UTC — 25 May 2021
Day 3, 01:00 – 06:00 UTC — 26 May 2021
Day 4, 19:00 – 00:00 UTC — 27 May 2021
The conference will have
- Keynotes: there will be 1 Keynote talk each day
- Plenary talks: 4-5 plenary talks each day.
- Oral presentations: 161 oral presentations in parallel sessions.These talks have been pre-recorded by the presenters and will be streamed on the hopin platform at the allotted time. Attendees will thus be able to watch the (recorded) talks during the conference. Oral presentations will be grouped into 4 or 5 per session and there will be a Q&A for those presenters at the end of each session.
- Posters: there will be about 90 posters at the conference in the form of short, pre-recorded videos OR google slides. There is a dedicated section on the hopin platform to display the posters which can be viewed at any time. Attendees will be able to contact the poster author or leave a message for them.
- Workshops: there will be 5 workshops, each 1 hour long. We will open registration for the Workshops next week on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Panels: there will be 4 panels, also 1 hour long.
For any queries, please write to cap2021@oao.iau.org.
Registration to the first ever Virtual CAP conference is FREE to all participants. Registration is now CLOSED and the details of the event will be sent to registered participants later this week.
Results of Abstracts Evaluation Announced
The CAP2021 scientific organizing committee has completed evaluation of submissions and all authors have been notified. We received 341 abstract submissions from all over the world for CAP2021. We are extremely grateful to the vibrant CAP community for your engagement even during these difficult and uncertain times. We are also thankful for your patience as we adapted to the ever evolving situation.
If you did not receive any email regarding your submission, please write to cap2021@oao.iau.org.
Registration to the first ever Virtual CAP conference is FREE to all participants. Details of the event will only be sent to registered participants. Register by 15 May 2021.
CAP Conference Goes Virtual in 2021
CAP 2021 will be held 24–27 May 2021, under the central theme Communicating Astronomy with the Public in the Age of Global Crises. Thanks to generous support from The Kavli Foundation, which has provided a grant to strengthen the IAU’s public engagement programmes and scientific meetings, registration for CAP 2021 will be free to all attendees.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN. Visit the Registration page for more information.
The Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2021 Virtual Conference (#VirtualCAP2021) will feature:
– Live Online Sessions in various time zones suitable for participants in different regions;
– Recorded Sessions that participants will be able to access and watch at their own pace and later engage in further live discussions with the speakers and other participants;
– Discussion Forums and Networking Sessions, in which participants will be able to reach out and engage in direct dialogue with the speakers and other participants.
Professionals from science communication, informal education and outreach, as well as professional and amateur astronomers, planetarium and science centre staff members, journalists, public information officers, and other creatives, are invited to attend the conference virtually to exchange ideas and discuss best practices.
Conference topics will include the following:
Communicating Climate Change through Astronomy;
Communicating Astronomy and Its Relevance in a Post-Factual Society;
Anti-Science Actions, Disinformation & Fake News;
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion through Astronomy Communication;
Current Challenges in Astronomy Communication;
The Media’s Role in Astronomy Communication;
Using Multimedia, Social Media, Immersive Environments and Other Technologies for Public Engagement with Astronomy;
Communicating Astronomy Across Different Regions.
In addition, the SOC is planning two special sessions, for which abstracts are also invited:
Legacy of the IAU100 Celebrations
Communicating Astronomy: The IAU Strategic Plan 2020–2030
More information can be found in the IAU announcement