Day 1

Open World Astronomical Olympiad (OWAO) takes place in Sirius for the third time. This year the competition brought together participants from 9 countries all over the world: Myanmar, Belarus, Bangladesh, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Costa Rica, Thailand and Russia. Eleven other countries including Mozambique, Venezuela, Bulgaria, Mongolia, Peru, Mexico, Egypt, Bolivia, Turkmenistan, Algeria and Ethiopia will participate online. 

The Olympiad will consist of four rounds: theoretical, practical, observation, and test. The tasks are created by an Academic Commission, consisting of representatives from different countries. In the first days students will take a trial round and present their teams. Then participants will do serious tasks, testing both theoretical knowledge and the ability to process and analyze observational data. 

In addition to the competitive part, a rich educational and cultural program has been prepared for the participants. The students will visit the laboratory complex of the Sirius University of Science and Technology, which is the largest in Russia in the field of life sciences, and will go on excursions around the Federal Territory.

Today the participants had the opportunity to get to know each other. Nyunn Sandi Linn, a student from Myanmar, was excited by Sirius and the friendly atmosphere. She is confident that participating in the Olympiad will help her deepen her knowledge of astronomy and make new friends.

"Astronomy covers everything related to the study of our universe. This is a science without which we cannot exist: it develops technologies, helps protect the Earth from space threats and expands our worldview. When I received the invitation to OWAO, I was absolutely excited. This is a chance for me to gain new knowledge," — says a participant from Myanmar.

Hassan Kamolov, a student from Uzbekistan, loves to study the stars, planets and constellations. He finds working with optical telescopes and other astronomical equipment extremely exciting.

"A medal at the Open International Astronomical Olympiad will be a great incentive for me to continue studying astronomy at a professional level. I plan to study at the Faculty of Astrophysics and deepen my knowledge of the physical laws governing the movement of celestial objects," — says Hassan.