International  Astronomy  Olympiad  2020

Postponed to 2021

Dear colleagues!

Considering the current international situation due to the covid-19 pandemic, after a serious consideration and communication between the XXV IAO Organizing Committee, the IAO Committee, many participating countries and the IAO Chairman, it has been decided that organization of the IAO in 2020 in traditional way is not possible neither in Matera, Italy (as planned for October 2020) nor in any other place.

Thus, the common solution is to postpone to 2021 the IAO-2020 with keeping Matera as host city of the IAO in Autumn 2021.

As for the survey of teams regarding possible alternatives to the IAO in 2020, most of the representatives of the teams regularly participating in the IAO voted either for option C) or for option B), but with requests for such additional conditions for the holding the rounds that could not be met. Thus, any virtual IAO will not be organized in 2020.

We look forward to see and welcome teams in Matera in 2021 for the XXV IAO!


Sincerely Yours,
M. G. Gavrilov,
Chairman of the Council of the International Astronomy Olympiad

• Teams at the Olympiad

• Guideline for new participating countries

• The International Astronomy Olympiad (IAO) Web-site

Dr. Michael G. Gavrilov, Founding Chairman of the International Astronomy Olympiad,
ISSP of Russ. Acad. Sci., Academician Ossipyan street 2, 142432 Chernogolovka, Moscow region, Russia.

URL: http://www.issp.ac.ru/iao/2020/
e-mail: gavrilov@issp.ac.ru
fax: + 7-(496-52)-28-160