Euro-Asian Astronomical Society

International Astronomy Olympiads
1996-2017

Important Notes for Interested Participants

E-letters to OC of the Olympiad

The Supplementary Instructions N 3
Supplementary Instructions N 3 in Russian
(not ready now)

See also: Short issue of this instructions - for IAO-2014

Participants. Groups of participants. General rules (# 4.5. of the Acting Statutes/Regulations):

  • 4.5.1. [Since founding of the Olympiad] The Olympiad participants are not supposed to study at any institutions of higher education (university or school which can be considered technical colleges). Students who finished their school examination in the year of the Olympiad cannot be members of a team even if they did not start university studies.
    • [Since founding of the Olympiad] School children of two groups take part in the Olympiad. These groups are defined by the following:
  • 4.5.2. Requirements for the junior group students (conjunction of all points):
    • 4.5.2.1. [Since Olympiad 2006] Only the first time participating in IAOs students.
    • 4.5.2.2. [Since Olympiad 2000] Participants should be not older than 15.00 years on January 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after January 01 YYYY-15 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).
    • 4.5.2.3. [Since Olympiad 1998] The last Form educating student cannot participate in the junior group.
  • 4.5.3. Requirements for the senior group students:
    • 4.5.3.1. [Since Olympiad 2009] For the first time participating in IAOs students: Participants should be not older than 18.00 years on January 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after January 01 YYYY-18 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).
    • 4.5.3.2. [Since Olympiad 2000] For the second time participating in IAOs students: Participants should be not older than 17.00 years on January 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after January 01 YYYY-17 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).
    • 4.5.3.3. [Since Olympiad 2003] For the third time participating in IAOs students: Participants should be not older than 16.00 years on January 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after January 01 YYYY-16 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).
      Note: It is recommended for the countries' internal rules to restrict for every participant the participation in IAOs by two times.
    • 4.5.3.4. [Since Olympiad 1998] The last Form educating student may participate only in the senior group.

  • 4.5.4. [Since Olympiad 2005] Participants of the both groups must be not younger than 14.00 years on December 31st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born before December 31 YYYY-14 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).

  • 4.5.6. [Since Olympiad 2003] A student who won I or II Diploma at the Nth IAO takes part out of quota at his/her next time participation at IAO (at (N + 1)th or (N + 2)th or later till age limit allows).

  • 4.5.7. [Since founding of the Olympiad] In order to popularise the Olympiad during the initial period (1996-2007), not so strong temporal rules for the groups are established, as defined by the current Supplementary Instructions N 3.
  • 4.5.8. [Since founding of the Olympiad] Other rules and restrictions for the students of the groups may be defined by the current Supplementary Instructions N 3.

  • 5.3. [Since Olympiad 2005] There must be exactly two team leaders in every team. Participation with the only team leader or with larger number of team leaders is forbidden.
  • 5.3. [Since founding of the Olympiad] It is recommended that team leaders to be be at least 26 y.o. (Note: LOC may use this restriction as an official limitation).

    • Participants. Groups of participants. Temporal rules (according to # 4.5.8. of the Acting Statutes/Regulations):

    For the initial period of IAO the groups were defined by the following:
  • 4.5.2. [Since founding of the Olympiad till 2005] The younger group: Participants not older than 15.00 years on March 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after March 01 YYYY-15 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).
  • 4.5.3. [Since founding of the Olympiad till 2002] The senior group: Participants not older than 17.00 years on September 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after September 01 YYYY-17 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).
  • 4.5.3.4. [For Olympiad 2008] Exception may be done for the first time participating in IAOs students. Every team may have one first time participating in IAOs student whose age is 1 year older than 17.00 years on September 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after January 01 YYYY-18 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY). (Note: since Olympiad 2009 this point transformed to 4.5.3.1.: for the first time participating in IAOs students the age limit is 18.00 years on January 1st of the year of the Olympiad (i.e. born after January 01 YYYY-18 for the Olympiad of the year YYYY).

  • 4.5.4. [Since founding of the Olympiad till Olympiad 2004] Participation of the students younger 14 y.o. is not recommended (Note: LOC may use this restriction as an official limitation).
  • 4.5.5. [Since Olympiad 2003 till Olympiad 2005] A student who once win I or II Diploma at the IAO may participate later in IAO only one time more.
  • 4.5.5.2. [Since Olympiad 2004 till Olympiad 2005] A student who once win I or II Diploma at the IAO may participate later only in the senior group (even if his/her age allows him/her to be a junior). (Note: since Olympiad 2006 this point transformed to 4.5.2.1.: every second or third time participating student may participate only in the senior group).

    • For the initial period of the Olympiad (1996-2015) in order to popularisate the Olympiad the following temporal rules of forming the country's teams are established:

      1. Temporal rules for the case of absence of a National team from a country.

      In the case of absence of a National team from a country, the regions, cities and towns or individuals of this country are responsible (by a permission of the Olympic Coordinating Council to take part in the Olympiad.

      Team of region, city, town:

      For the Olympiads 1996-1997:

      • not more than 3 participants in the younger group.
      • not more than 2 participant in the senior group.
      • IAO I-Diploma winners and II-Diploma prizewinners (at their previous participation in IAO), not older than the age limit, who did not used such a possibility before.
      • 1 or 2 team leaders (specialists in astronomy or astronomy education).
      Total numbers of participants and team leaders from a country should not exceed the numbers of the national representation.

      For the Olympiads 1998-2004:
      • not more than 2 participants in the younger group.
      • not more than 1 participant in the senior group.
      • IAO I-Diploma winners and II-Diploma prizewinners (at their previous participation in IAO), not older than the age limit, who did not used such a possibility before.
      • exactly 1 team leader (specialist in astronomy or astronomy education).
      Total numbers of participants and team leaders from a country should not exceed the numbers of the national representation.

      For the Olympiads 2005-2015:
      • not more than 2 participants in the younger group.
      • not more than 1 participant in the senior group.
      • IAO I-Diploma winners and II-Diploma prizewinners (at their previous participation in IAO), not older than the age limit, who did not used such a possibility before at IAO or APAO.
      • exactly 2 team leaders (specialists in astronomy or astronomy education).
      Total numbers of participants and team leaders from a country should not exceed the numbers of the national representation.

      For the Olympiads 1996-2002 the Olympic Coordinating Council may enlarge national representation for the countries without ANRAO or without National Astronomy Olympiads organised by ANRAO starting their activity in IAO up to full national representation.

      For the Olympiads 1996-2002 in particular cases special permissions may be done by the Olympic Coordinating Council:

      • a) to change the proportion 3:2 (2:1) for the groups;
      • b) to allow to participate for students a little elder than defined age limit.

      2. Status of a country, starting activity in IAO.

      For the Olympiads 1996-2003 almost all the countries are considered as countries, starting their activity in IAO. Only Moscow Land and Russia are not in this list.

      For the Olympiads since 2004 only the countries participating in IAO the first or the second time (including participating as town teams from the country) are considered as countries, starting their activity in IAO. See the list of the countries not starting their activity in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

      3. For the countries, starting their activity in the International Astronomy Olympiad and for the students participating the first time in IAO the age limits for the groups are defined as:

        For the Olympiads 1996-1997:
      • younger group: not older than 16.00 years old on January 1, year of the Olympiad;
      • senior group: not older than 18.00 years old on January 1, year of the Olympiad.
        For the Olympiads 1998-1999:
      • younger group: not older than 16.00 years old on October 20, year of the Olympiad;
      • senior group: not older than 18.00 years old on October 20, year of the Olympiad.
        For the Olympiads 2000-2005:
      • younger group: not older than 15.00 years old on January 1, year of the Olympiad;
      • senior group: not older than 17.00 years old on January 1, year of the Olympiad.
        For the Olympiads since 2006:
      • The groups for the Olympiads since 2006 are defined by the point # 4.5. of the Acting Statutes/Regulations for all participating countries (see above).

      4. For the students from the countries, not starting their activity in the International Astronomy Olympiad, and who participating in IAO not the first time the age limits for the groups are defined as:

        For the Olympiads 1996-2005:
      • younger group: not older than 15.00 years old on March 1, year of the Olympiad;
      • senior group: not older than 17.00 years old on September 1, year of the Olympiad.
        For the Olympiads since 2006:
      • The groups for the Olympiads since 2006 are defined by the point # 4.5. of the Acting Statutes/Regulations for all participating countries (see above).

    For the initial period of the Olympiad (1996-2015) in order to popularisation the Olympiad a few temporal rules for membership at IAO are established.

      Additionally to the point # 5.1.3. of the Acting Statutes/Regulations where it is mentioned that the registration for participating in the IAO (for membership at IAO) may be done:
      • 5.1.3.1. for any country which ANRAO organized IAO during last ten years;
      • 5.1.3.2. for any country from which an official team was sent to an IAO during last five years;
      • 5.1.3.3. for any country from which an official ANRAO observer was sent to an IAO during last three years;
      the following temporal possibitities are in operation:
      • 5.1.3.4. [Since founding of the Olympiad till Olympiad 2015] for any country from which an official team was sent to a registered IAO-type event during last two years;
      • 5.1.3.5. [Since founding of the Olympiad till Olympiad 2001] for any interested country;
      • 5.1.3.5. [Since Olympiad 2002 till Olympiad 2005] for any interested country organizing National Astronomy Olympiad;
      • 5.1.3.5. [Since Olympiad 2006 till Olympiad 2015] for interested country organizing National Astronomy Olympiad which was seriously involved into Astronomy Olympic movement in past and which team is leading by an experienced in IAO traditions person;
          • Note: Poland, Latvia and Belarus are specialy invited according to # 5.1.3.5.
      • 5.1.3.6. [Since founding of the Olympiad till Olympiad 2015] for the countries from which an official ANRAO observer together with the Chairman of the Olympic Coordinating Council were participated at analogous in structure International (All-the-World or Continental) Science Olympiad during last three years [it is proposed that this country is the host of this Science Olympiad and its ANRAO take care about the mentioned common participation; visit of the Chairman of the Olympic Coordinating Council is considered as a visit to IAO-type event according to the point # 9.1.2.1. of the Acting Statutes/Regulations];
      • 5.1.3.7. [Since Olympiad 2007 for IAO organization at the "historical territory": Olympiads 2007, 2010...] for any interested country by special common permission of the Olympic Advisory Committee and Local Organizing Committee.

    Those who are interested to get further information about the Olympiad (including official invitations for teams and observers, take into account: visa support is necessary for citizens of some countries!) are welcome to contact Coordinating Council in English or Russian.

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

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