OAC
A free, international astronomy competition for high school students, featuring two rounds with multiple-choice and olympiad-style problems.
About the Online Astronomy Competition
The Online Astronomy Competition (OAC) is a free, international astronomy competition designed to make astronomy accessible and exciting for high school students everywhere. Conducted entirely online and open to all eligible students at no cost, OAC provides a unique opportunity for young astronomers to test their knowledge, engage with challenging problems, and compete on a global stage.
The mission of OAC is to democratize astronomy education and foster a community of passionate student astronomers worldwide, regardless of background or location.
Competition Format
Two-Round Structure
The OAC features an innovative two-round format that caters to different levels of competition:
Round 1: Open Round (September 21, 2025)
- Open to all eligible students worldwide
- Multiple-choice and short-answer questions
- Covers a wide range of astronomy topics
- Accessible online format
- Tests foundational knowledge and problem-solving skills
Round 2: Invitational Round (October 11-12, 2025)
- Exclusively for top performers from the Open Round
- Subjective, olympiad-style, open-ended problems
- Requires deeper understanding of astronomy concepts
- Emphasizes creative thinking and analytical rigor
- Problems written with mathematical rigor and depth
High-Quality Problem Curation
The competition features problems written by IOAA medalists and accomplished astronomers, ensuring:
- Challenging & Fair: Problems test genuine understanding, not memorization
- Diverse Topics: Coverage across positional astronomy, photometry, celestial mechanics, astrophysics, and more
- Unique Elements: Portions of the competition focus on practical application and research-oriented thinking
- International Standard: Problems align with International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics standards
Eligibility & Registration
Who Can Participate
- Age Requirement: 20 years old or younger on the date of the competition
- Education Status: Should not have joined a university or equivalent institution before June 1, 2025
- Location: Open to all eligible students worldwide
- Cost: Completely free to enter
Registration Details
- Registration Deadline: September 18, 2025
- Process: Free and open online registration
- Accessibility: Entirely online, participate from anywhere in the world
The Organizing Team
The OAC is organized by accomplished young astronomers with extensive olympiad experience:
Akshat Srivastava (🇮🇳 President & Co-Founder)
- Member of the Indian team at IOAA 2025 (Gold Medalist)
- Self-described “astronomy freak” and problem-writing specialist
- Known for crafting challenging and thought-provoking questions
Aldric Benalan (🇺🇸 Co-Founder)
- Represented the U.S. at the 18th IOAA
- Two-time USESO camp finalist
- Brings diverse international perspective to competition design
Problem Writing Committee
The competition problems are developed by an elite team of IOAA medalists:
- Taehun Jung (🇰🇷) - IOAA 2025 Gold Medal
- Martin Kudrna (🇨🇿) - IOAA 2025 Gold Medal, IOAA 2024 Silver Medal, IOAA 2023 Bronze Medal
- Aarush Mishra (🇮🇳) - IOAA 2025 Gold Medal, IOAA Jr. 2023 Gold Medal
- Mahammad Jafarli (🇦🇿) - IOAA 2025 Bronze Medal, IOAA 2024 Honourable Mention
Key Features
Completely Free & Accessible
- No entry fees required
- Available to all eligible high school students
- 100% online platform - no travel or logistical barriers
Two-Tiered Competition Model
- Multiple-choice format in Round 1 for broad accessibility
- Olympiad-style format in Round 2 for deeper challenge
- Allows students to progress based on merit
Research & Practical Focus
Unlike many competitions that focus solely on theoretical knowledge, OAC incorporates:
- Practical application of astronomical concepts
- Research-oriented problem-solving
- Real-world astronomy scenarios
International Community
- Connects aspiring astronomers from around the world
- Represents diverse educational backgrounds and approaches
- Fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange among global participants
Getting Involved
For Students
- Register for the competition
- Join the Discord community for updates and discussions
- Check the archive to see previous competition problems
Contact & Community
- Email: onlineastrocompetition@gmail.com
- Discord: Join the OAC server
Vision & Impact
The OAC was created to address a gap in international astronomy competition opportunities. By providing a free, online, globally-accessible competition with high-quality problems written by accomplished young astronomers, OAC aims to:
- Inspire the next generation of astronomers and physicists
- Provide equal opportunity regardless of geographic or economic background
- Create a supportive community of astronomy enthusiasts
- Demonstrate that excellence in astronomy education can be accessible to everyone
The competition embodies the principle that talent and passion for astronomy should be the only barriers to participation, not cost, location, or institutional constraints.