Azerbaijan awards winners Astronomy Olympiad

The Republic Children and Youth Development Center has hosted an awarding ceremony for the winners of the 5th Azerbaijan Astronomy Olympiad.

The event aimed to increase interest in astronomy in Azerbaijan, promote wider inclusion of this science in the education system, and ensure the international representation of talented students.

Gold, silver, and bronze medals, diplomas, and gifts were presented to the winners.

Since 2016, the Republic Children and Youth Development Center, together with the Tusi-Bohm Planetarium, the only planetarium in the South Caucasus has initiated astronomy-oriented programs for school students.

The preparation for the Olympiad was also carried out under the main sponsorship of the Tusi-Bohm Planetarium.

The Olympiad, organized among 9th to 11th-grade students of general education institutions, registered 1,200 participants for the national round. More than 100 students demonstrated their knowledge and skills in the final stage, which consisted of two phases. According to the Organizing Committee's decision, 7 students were awarded first place, 11 students second place, and 10 students third place.

The winners of the 5th Azerbaijan Astronomy Olympiad were invited to preparatory courses for the 18th International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (IOAA 2025). These preparatory lessons were organized at the Center by experts from Baku State University and the Republic Children and Youth Development Center.

As part of the preparation, a special training camp was also held at the Nasreddin Tusi Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory.

The winning team of the Olympiad successfully participated in the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (IOAA 2025), held from August 11 to 21 in Mumbai, India. The team won a total of 2 bronze medals and 2 honorable mentions in the Olympiad, which included both theoretical and practical rounds.

The bronze medals were awarded to Ogtay Latifli, an 11th-grade student of the Physics, Mathematics, and Informatics Lyceum in Baku, and Mahammad Jafarli, a 10th-grade student of the Technical Humanitarian Lyceum in Baku. The honorable mentions were given to Raiq Babazade, a 10th-grade student of the Physics, Mathematics, and Informatics Lyceum, and Aqil Guleliyev, an 11th-grade student of the same lyceum.

The team's participation in the International Olympiad was supported by the Institute of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The organizers of the Olympiad were Baku State University, the Institute of Education, the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory, the Republic Children and Youth Development Center, and the Amateur Astronomy Society Public Association.