The Brazilian Delegation of Students at the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympics (IOAA) won four medals and an honorable mention in the competitions that ended on Thursday (21) in the Indian city of Mumbai.
This year Luca Pimenta won the gold medal; Franklin da Silva Costa and Francisco Carluccio de Andrade, Silver, and Lucas Amaral Jensen took the bronze. Giovanna Queiroz, in turn, obtained honorable mention. In addition to gold, Luca Pimenta also received the trophies for best group proof and best observational test.
The 18th IOAA activities involved the best high school students interested in the subject in more than 50 countries.
According to professor and astronomer Júlio Klafke, member of the organizing committee of the Brazilian Astronomy Olympics (OBA) and responsible for the training of young people, IOAA brings together several countries and the challenges are more for the field of theoretical physics.
“The level of the questions is extremely high. Evidence involves knowledge of mathematics, physics and astronomy,” he explains.
There are also astronomy issues, focusing on sky observation, telescope manipulation, planetary proof, constellation knowledge and stars.
“It is necessary to know how to interpret data through the simulation of the planetary. It is a very refined Olympics,” said the professor.
The five young people were selected among the 50 best place in the 2024 edition. From this group, five students were selected for IOAA and another ten for its Latin American version, the Latin American Astronomy and Astronautics Olympics (Olaa), from September 1 to 7, in Barra do Piraí, Rio de Janeiro.
As a host country, Brazil participates with two teams from five students each. The first team is formed by students from Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro and Cassilândia (MS), and the second, by students from Pará, Sao Paulo, Goiás and Ceará.
With more than 2 million registered in the 2024 edition, the Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympics distributed over 80,000 gold, silver and bronze medals to participants from all states. Almost half were from public school students, more than 39 thousand. This year’s edition has already distributed more than 65,000 medals and is in the selection phase of representatives for next year’s international competition cycle.
