The National Aeronautics and Space Administration/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency (NASA/ESA/CSA) James Webb Space Telescope launched on 25 December 2021. After investing $10 billion USD and two decades of construction and testing, all eyes were on the mission to see what it would reveal about the cosmos. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, serves as Webb’s mission and science operations centre. As part of that role, STScI’s Office of Public Outreach leads the public engagement efforts for the mission, which includes preparing news releases. This article describes the multi-disciplinary efforts by STScI that went into developing and disseminating Webb’s first images and spectra.

Christine

Jaclyn

Claire

Hannah

Chris

Matthew

Margaret

Joseph

Quyen

Leah

Andi

Alexandra

Alyssa

Yessi

Timothy

Denise

L. Chad

Best Practices

Unfolding the Universe: First Images and Spectra from the James Webb Space Telescope

Our relationship to the sky is complex and encompasses heritage interpretation, protecting environments and the darkskies agenda. Creating transformative experiences that communicate the emotional values that underpin this relationshipoften proves difficult. In particular, the qualities that make heritage sites excellent places to immerse oneself in its skyscape –at-risk or remote locations – limit the number of people who can experience it. Knowledge exchange betweenpractitioners working at these sites and the public is essential for all stakeholders involved in astronomy communicationas this fosters a wider understanding and appreciation of the cosmos.

Daniel

Carolyn

Case Study

Immersive experiences to communicate sky heritage and dark skies

In this paper, we examine the exhibition of the Desert Stars VR, a component from the transmedia narrative Desert Stars,an outcome of the co-creation process between the Amanar project and the Saharawi community. The products of DesertStars were developed as part of the Amanar astronomy outreach project that aims to support and inspire the Sahrawicommunity using astronomy. We focus particularly on the reception of this VR experience by the Sahrawi audience duringthe FiSahara International Film Festival. Our analysis delves into the feedback from the Sahrawi participants, examininghow their reactions and interactions with the VR content reflect broader themes in scientific communication. We assess thesuccesses and challenges encountered throughout this project, providing insights into how these experiences can informfuture virtual reality applications in astronomy outreach. This discussion aims to contribute to a deeper understanding ofhow immersive technologies can be leveraged to enhance science communication and engage diverse audiences inmeaningful ways.

Felipe J.

Jorge

Andrea

Fabio

Sarah

Mohammed Ali

Lahsen Selki

Lala

Embarca

Sumaya Badi

Nayra

Diego

Demetrio

Mayte

GalileoMobile and the Amanar task force

Desert Stars VR: A case study on audience receptionof virtual reality experience to raise awareness ofthe Sahrawi traditional astronomical knowledgeand the Western Sahara conflict

The 36th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal (CAPjournal) is a special one for many reasons. First and foremost, it celebrates the most recent CAP Conference, which took place at Cité de l’espace in Toulouse, France, from 23 to 28 June 2024. This hybrid event brought together nearly 400 participants, of whom 42% joined online. With its bespoke web platform, the CAP2024 conference exemplified its theme – Astronomy communication in a hybrid world – by bringing people from 52 countries into conversation across cultural and digital divides. In this edition of CAPjournal, we present five of the many projects discussed at the conference, highlighting its diversity. Additionally, toward the OAO’s goal of professionalising astronomy communication, and in keeping with professional standards in publishing, the CAPjournal will now be hosted on a new website and participate in a new publication scheme: we will discontinue publishing articles in issues such as this one. CAPjournal issue #36 will be the journal's final issue. Instead, we will publish articles individually on a continual basis. This will reduce wait times for authors to be published and provide our readers with new content more regularly.

Shortly after this issue's publication, the XXXII General Assembly (GA) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will take place on the African continent for the first time. This is an important milestone for African astronomy research and communication. Leaders of the GA Education and Public Outreach Team share their plans for public engagement with astronomy before, during, and after the conference. To underscore the breadth of astronomy communication already underway across Africa, we highlight the contributions of select National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs) – national points of contact representing the Office for Astronomy Outreach in their communities – from Africa. This issue also features articles that touch on mis- (and dis-) information, interdisciplinary communication, innovative techniques in emerging technologies, engaging older adults, and online events to improve access to educational programming.



As the planetarium has evolved over these last one hundred years, its function has broadened to include various creative and innovative community-driven activities. We hope these articles inspire you to get curious about the unique ways you could interact with your local planetarium and the diverse communities you could invite into the space to experience a true dark sky and engage in multidisciplinary STEM learning. This issue presents a diverse collection of articles spanning a planetarium's activities, including creating accessible materials with and alongside communities, fostering collaborative efforts with local institutions, and providing important historical context.

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