In the autumn of 2020 it will be seven and a half years since the last large nova meeting was held, in Cape Town. In that time a lot has happened and a new prominence has been gained for these accreting white dwarfs.
Novae have been confirmed to be sources of gamma-ray emission, the source of much of the Galactic lithium, theoretical and observational work have combined to strengthen the nova claim to the single-degenerate SN Ia channel, and in the Andromeda Galaxy a vast nova super-remnant has been discovered. Moreover, recovery of the historic Galactic nova – Nova Sco AD 1437 – and witnessing dwarf novae undergoing nova eruptions, and old-novae exhibiting dwarf nova outbursts provided vital evidence to aid closing the loop of the CV-cycle.
High cadence observations and all sky surveys, such as Swift, OGLE, ASAS-SN, and PTF/iPTF/ZTF, have already begun to reshape our understanding of novae, CVs, and the related symbiotics. The results provided by the Gaia mission about nova distances offer a unique test bed for validating our ideas on the properties of nova populations inside the Milky Way and then by extension in external systems.
As we stand on the precipice of a new and exciting era of time domain astronomy, the time is ripe to convene another meeting to review the advancements and achievements over the last seven years, to foster the discussions that will eventually lead to a unified picture for novae, and to strategize for the future, to ensure that the next seven and a half years are even more fruitful for novae.
NovA2020 will be held in the spectacular venue of the Capodimonte Observatory in Naples, just in front of the island of Capri and embraced by Vesuvius. The inspiring landscape of the Gulf of Naples and the park surrounding the Observatory, the presence of countless historical buildings, such as the Capodimonte Royal Palace, including many cultural events, not to mention the exquisite Neapolitan cuisine, will render the NovA2020 meeting an extraordinary experience (even more so than observing the next eruption of RS Ophiuchi)!