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Editorial (page 03)
Pedro Russo

The close of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) has revealed the truly vast scope of the venture. The organisers had always intended that the IYA2009 would be more than just a series of activities occurring over twelve months. It was designed and implemented as a springboard for the popularisation of astronomy in the long term. Grass-roots initiatives and global projects made this endeavour highly visible, with an impact that will last for years. IYA2009 created the largest astronomy network in history. 148 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, all joined together to make astronomy accessible to everyone; the International Year of Astronomy 2009 truly has been international!

Imagine IYA2009 without the internet. Before the internet, coordinating global projects was difficult. Getting the word out, coordinating actions and events, and expanding a network quickly (IYA2009 has grown from the zero countries involved in 2006 to 148 in 2009) would have all been far more complex problems than they are today. Now, instant communication makes things easier and quicker. Webpages, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and countless other new media contribute to an entirely new dimension for global projects. The new technologies are all designed to connect and empower networks amplifying their efforts. We now have the tools, techniques and even the right people to continue our efforts to promote astronomy worldwide. It’s our role and duty to keep up and continue the International Year of Astronomy way beyond 2009.

In this issue, the artist Tim Roth and his collaborators give us a behind the scenes look to their very successful science–art project Cosmic Revelation and our regular contributor, Matthew McCool looks back in time to the clash between science and the humanities.

Between issues you can stay in touch through our website, www.capjournal.org, where you will find the current issues in PDF format, an astronomy communication and education job bank, submission guidelines and back issues.

We also welcome astronomy and science communication events (conferences, meetings, etc.), training opportunities, job postings or courses offered. If you have astronomy and science communication-themed products such as books, DVDs, television programmes, magazines or websites that you would like to see reviewed by the CAPjournal editorial team, simply send the necessary information to: editor@capjournal.org. Any questions, comments or opinions can also be addressed there.

Happy reading,

Pedro Russo