The First Ever Online Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad
A must-do opportunity for all STEM enthusiasts.
Subscribe to the STEMScribe newsletter to gain full access to our materials. It’s free!
The Online Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (OAAO) had its inaugural competition in early April. Students may be inclined to try this year’s individual and team round problems.
The OAAO parallels, at least in nomenclature, the Online Physics Olympiad (OPHO). With 174 distinct registrations for the contest, OAAO is well on its way to establishing itself as a major astronomy competition just as OPHO is a staple competition within the physics community. OAAO has further been endorsed by major contests such as the Physics Olympiad and the Astrophysics Olympiad.
Astronomy has always been considered a field with a high barrier of entry, and few schools have historically taught astrophysics as part of a required curriculum. Therefore, the onus to, as the OAAO’s mission statement aptly puts it, “[proliferate] passion in astronomy and astrophysics” has fallen on extracurricular activities like the OAAO competition.
One major success of the OAAO is its accessibility. It is completely free to compete, takes place virtually with a flexible time slot, and does not require a school affiliation during registration. The model of the contest inherently strives to reduce educational inequality.
While the success of the first OAAO is remarkable, students have made two notable critiques. Primarily, the OAAO was delayed multiple times, reportedly due to problem writing challenges.
Test-takers also indicated that the problems were unreasonably difficult. Problem difficulty is a vital consideration for a competition with a target audience of high schoolers, many of whom are encountering competitive astrophysics for the first time. In excess, difficult problems may dissuade students from pursuing astrophysics.
There are plans to improve the OAAO competition for its second year. For all astrophysics, physics, and science enthusiasts, I would highly recommend joining the OAAO Discord server and visiting the website.
The OAAO is looking for sponsors! Any form of support, financial or material, is extremely appreciated. Entry to the OAAO is currently free — and will remain free with your support. Please email oaao.info@gmail.com for more details.
Written by Chloe Xu
The STEMScribe blog is a reader-supported publication. Subscribe to show your support. It’s free!
If you would like to submit a guest post to the blog, please fill out this form. Join the Discord server to gain access to our free tutoring and mentorship services.