Iranian Astronomy Team Win Championship for Second Year
The IOAA was held in Mumbai at August 11-21, attracting over 300 high school students from 64 countries. During the event, students participated in several challenging exams covering theoretical, observational, and data analysis aspects of astronomy.
The five-member Iranian team comprised Ali Naderi Lordjani, Arshia Mirshamsi Kakhaki, Hossein Soltani, Hossein Masoumi, and Hirbod Foodazi. The first three students are placed atop the whole winners.
Hossein Haqi, the leader of Iran’s Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad Team, noted that the Iranian team won five gold medals among the 64 teams from around the world, adding, “After us, Britain with four gold and one silver and India with four gold and one silver ranked second and third, respectively.”
The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) is one of the twelve International Science Olympiads. Founded by five countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, China, and Poland), its first edition took place in Thailand in 2007.
The main goal of the IOAA is to promote the growing interest in Astronomy and related STEM subjects, especially through the general education of young people, and enhancing the development of international contacts among different countries in promoting Astronomy and Astrophysics in schools. It is expected that, through events like the IOAA, more bright high-school students will be eager to study astronomy at the university level to become the next generation of astronomy and astrophysics professionals.
The 17th IOAA was held last year from August 17 to 27 in Vassouras, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Over 250 students from 57 countries participated in the event, and the Iranian students won five gold medals, ranking the first in the world.
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