Copernicus Astronomy Olympiad
Astronomy Olympiad
Astronomy is one of humanity’s oldest sciences, born from a simple yet profound instinct—to look at the sky and wonder what lies beyond. For centuries, we have watched the stars to understand time, find our way across the world, and make sense of our place in the universe. But today, we are no longer just looking at space—we are entering it. Space is becoming the new frontier, opening possibilities that could fundamentally change how we live on Earth. From satellites that connect the world and predict disasters to new discoveries, space missions, and technologies that may shape the industries of tomorrow, the developments taking place today are extraordinary.
The Copernicus Olympiad in Astronomy has been introduced with this future in mind. We want students not only to understand stars, planets, celestial motions, and the fundamental concepts they encounter in their textbooks, but also to remain curious about what is happening in Astronomy and space exploration today.
The syllabus has deliberately been designed to make Astronomy approachable without taking away the joy of exploration. A sound understanding of basic textbook concepts, combined with curiosity about current developments in Astronomy and space technology, will provide students with a strong foundation to excel in the examination. Students are encouraged to explore reliable educational resources, including the educational websites and learning materials published by national and international space agencies such as NASA and ESA. The objective is not to encourage excessive preparation or memorisation, but to develop the habit of reading, observing, questioning, and discovering.
Above all, the Copernicus Olympiad aims to recognise and reward curious students—the ones who read beyond their textbooks because something fascinates them; who follow a space mission because they want to know where it will lead; who look at an image of a distant galaxy and immediately have another question.
These are the students we want to encourage.
For Grade 7 to Grade 12 Students
Assessment Criteria
Students must take the exam based on their respective grade category:
✔ Category 1 – Grades 7 & 8
✔ Category 2 – Grades 9 & 10
✔ Category 3 – Grades 11 & 12
- Exam duration: 75 minutes.
Both the Preliminary and Global Rounds include a total of 20 questions. The Preliminary Round would include all multiple choice questions while the Global Round will include 15 multiple choice questions and 5 open-ended questions (i.e. without answer choice) designed to assess deeper understanding and critical thinking.
Preliminary Round Marking Scheme
- 5 easy questions – 4 marks each; 1 mark shall be deducted for each incorrect answer
- 10 average questions – 5 marks each; 2 marks shall be deducted for each incorrect answer
5 hard questions – 6 marks each; 3 marks shall be deducted for each incorrect answer
Total: 100 marks
Global Round Marking Scheme
- 5 easy questions – 3 marks each; 1 mark shall be deducted for each incorrect answer
- 5 medium difficulty questions – 4 marks each; 2 marks shall be deducted for each incorrect answer
- 5 high difficulty questions – 6 marks each; 3 marks shall be deducted for each incorrect answer
5 open-ended questions – 7 marks each; no negative marking for incorrect answer
Total: 100 marks
Preliminary Round
✔ All Preliminary Round participants, regardless of score, will receive a Certificate of Participation.
✔ Students who qualify for the Global Round will receive a Certificate of Achievement and a medal (gold, silver or bronze) based on their Preliminary Round performance.
✔ In the Preliminary Round, medals will be awarded based on the following percentages :- 91% to 100% – Gold Medal + 10% discount in the Global Round registration fees
- 75% to 90% – Silver Medal + 5% discount in the Global Round registration fees
- 50% to 74% – Bronze Medal
- 40% to 49% – Honorable Mention Certificate
✔ Absolute winners (youngest top scorers) of each category will receive free participation in the Global Round.
Global Round
✔ All Global Round participants, regardless of score, will receive a Certificate of Participation.
✔ In the Global Round, medals will be awarded based on the following percentages:
- The top 10% will receive a Gold Medal.
- The next 11-30% will receive a Silver Medal.
- The next 31-60% will receive a Bronze Medal.
- The next 61-75% will receive an Honorable Mention Certificate.
https://copernicusolympiad.com/resources/
Preliminary Round 1: 21st November 2026
Registration Fees: Rs.1200
Rs. 1200/-
Syllabus
Physics
● Conservation laws (momentum, angular momentum)
● Impulse and collisions
● Rotational motion and torque
● Gravitation beyond basic concepts
● Kinetic theory of gases
● Thermodynamic processes (isothermal, adiabatic, etc.)
● Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics
● Electromagnetic induction
● Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction.
● Lenz’s law
● Alternating current (AC) circuits
● Interference and diffraction of light
● Polarization of light
● Modern optics, including wave-particle duality.
● Quantum mechanics in the context of light and photons
● Special theory of relativity.
● Quantum mechanics, wave functions, and probability.
● Atomic and molecular physics.
● Nuclear physics and particle physics
Astronomy
● Stellar formation and evolution, including the life cycles of various types of stars
● Stellar nucleosynthesis and the creation of elements
● Supernovae and neutron stars
● The structure and dynamics of galaxies
● Active galactic nuclei, including quasars and blazars
● Galaxy clusters and the large-scale structure of the universe
● The expanding universe and the Hubble law
● Cosmic microwave background radiation
● Dark matter, dark energy, and the fate of the universe
● Inflationary theory and the Big Bang
Physics
● Newton’s laws of motion
● Types of forces
● Speed, velocity, and acceleration
● Simple machines
● Forms of energy
● Energy transformation
● Conservation of energy
● Properties of sound waves
● Sound dispersion and the Doppler effect
● Properties of light
● Behavior of light
● Lenses and their application
● Electromagnetic spectrum
● Electric circuits and components
● Heat transfer
● Properties of fluids
● Fluids dynamics
● Buoyancy and Archimedes Principle
Astronomy
● Solar system
● The Sun
● Moon, asteroids, and planets
● Asteroid belt and Kuiper belt
● Celestial motions
● Day and night, seasons, and moon phases
● Eclipses
● Stars and their characteristics
● Constellations and their cultural significance
● Life cycle of stars
● Types of galaxies
● The Big Bang Theory
● Meteor showers
● Auroras
Life science
● Human body systems – homeostasis and feedback mechanisms
● Cell mutation
● Central dogma of molecular biology (DNA – structure and replication)
● Genetic engineering and ethical issues in biotechnology
● Biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids)
● Polymers
● Invertebrate diversity, evolution, and classification
● Vertebrates’ diversity, evolution, and classification
● Phylogeny and cladistics
● Theory of evolution and natural selection
● Forces of evolution
● Population genetics
Physical science
● Scientific notation and significant figures
● Accuracy and precision
● Dimensional analysis
● Valence electrons
● Electron configurations
● Chemical bonding
● Endothermic and exothermic reactions
● Redox reaction
● Chemical nomenclature
● The Special Theory of Relativity
● Kepler’s law
● Laws of stratigraphy
● Relative and absolute dating (computing half-life)
● Expansion of universe
● Dark matter
