Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2026
Conference Registration, Abstract and Grant Submissions are Now Open!

On 25-29 May, 2026, in collaboration with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Commission C2 – Communicating Astronomy with the Public and the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and the Armenian Astronomical Society 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.

Registration, abstract and grant submissions are now open at 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:

AI and social media in Astronomy communication
The science and practice of Astronomy communication
Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Astronomy communication
Hands-on / Exhibit development
Contributions of writing and journalism for Astronomy communication
Astronomy communication for underserved communities
Inclusive Astronomy tools for people with disabilities and the neurodiverse
Communicating Astronomy in Central Asia and the Middle East
Evaluating impact: Measuring outreach success

Important dates:

17 October, 2025: Abstract submission and grant application deadline

15 January, 2026: Abstract submission and grant application released

31 January, 2026: Deadline for early-bird registration

15 April, 2026: Last day for visa application support from the LOC

1 May, 2026: Full programme published online

25 – 29 May, 2026: CAP2026 Conference at Yerevan (& online)

To stay up to date with the latest information for CAP2026, please join the conference mailing list, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or the hashtag #IAUCAP2026.

More Information

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.

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.