国际天文奥林匹克竞赛（International Astronomy Olympiad, IAO）由欧亚天文学会创立，是国际上最早的六项科学奥林匹克竞赛之一，至今已有27年的历史。IAO的参赛对象为14-18周岁的中学生，比赛环节由理论、观测和实测三部分组成，主要考察学生的天文知识储备及数据分析能力，旨在开发学生的想象力、创造力和独立思考能力。自第一届IAO于1996年秋季在俄罗斯外高加索特殊物理天文台（SAO-RAS）成功举办以来，IAO已逐渐成为世界各地的中学生天文爱好者展示才华和交流合作的重要平台。

2002年，北京天文馆首次组织国家队参加第七届IAO，并取得中国队参赛历史上的第一枚银牌。2003年，在时任北京天文馆馆长、中国天文学会普及工作委员会主任朱进博士的大力推动下，北京天文馆成为国际天文奥林匹克竞赛协调委员会指定的唯一中国参赛代表机构。自此，中国正式开启组队参加国际天文竞赛的历史。至今，中国队已在IAO的赛场上获得了19枚金牌、34枚银牌及39枚铜牌的佳绩。这展示了中国天文教育水平的进步，证明了中国年轻一代在天文科学研究和国际交流方面的潜力。

北京天文馆作为我国第一座大型天文馆，一直耕耘于青少年天文科普领域，为公众提供丰富的天文科普教育资源，在天文学科教育和科普活动方面具有丰富的组织经验和出色的执行能力，致力于为全球的中学生天文爱好者提供一个互相学习和交流的舞台。其创立并主办的全国中学生天文知识竞赛已走过二十二年。2005年秋季，北京天文馆曾成功主办第10届IAO，当时也是该项赛事首次在欧洲以外的地区举行。

2005年10月25日至11月2日，北京天文馆成功举办第10届IAO。

The 10th IAO was held at Beijing Planetarium in the autumn of 2005

2023年第27届国际天文奥林匹克竞赛将在中国·北京举行，这是北京天文馆时隔18年再次主办此项赛事。此次IAO举行时间为2023年11月6日-14日，历时9天。届时，将有来自孟加拉国、保加利亚、加拿大、中国、意大利、马来西亚、尼泊尔、巴基斯坦、罗马尼亚、俄罗斯、斯里兰卡、美国、越南等国家派代表队参加。竞赛期间，除考试之外，组委会将安排丰富的活动，例如文化之夜、联欢会、天文大咖讲座、参观游览及文体活动等。

2023年深秋，让我们相聚美丽的雁栖湖畔，共同探讨天文学的未解之谜。这不仅是一次知识的交流，更是一场属于各国中学生天文爱好者的盛大派对。天文盛宴等你来。

第27届国际天文奥林匹克竞赛地方组委会

联系人: 李昕 lixin@bjp.org.cn

方媛媛 fangyuanyuan@bjp.org.cn

杨斌 yangbin@bjp.org.cn

Beijing Planetarium to host the International Astronomy Olympiad

The International Astronomy Olympiad (IAO) was founded by the Euro-Asian Astronomical Society. It is one of the earliest of the six international science Olympiads and has a history of 27 years to date. The IAO targets high school students aged 14 to 18. The competition consists of three segments: theoretical, observational, and practical rounds. It primarily assesses students' knowledge of astronomy as well as their data analysis skills, aiming to cultivate imagination, creativity, and independent thinking. Since its first event in the autumn of 1996 at the Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO-RAS) in the North Caucasus of Russia, the IAO has gradually become an important platform for high school astronomy enthusiasts worldwide to showcase their talents and engage in collaborative exchange.

In 2002, the Beijing Planetarium organized a national team to participate in the 7th International Astronomy Olympiad (IAO) for the first time, earning China its first-ever silver medal in the competition's history. In 2003, under the strong support of Dr. Zhu Jin, then director of the Beijing Planetarium and head of the Popularization Committee of the Astronomical Society of China, the Beijing Planetarium became the sole authorized representative organization for China in the IAO Coordination Committee. Since then, China has officially begun its history of participating in international astronomy competitions. To date, the Chinese team has garnered 19 gold, 34 silver, and 39 bronze medals in the IAO, showcasing the advancements in the level of astronomy education in China and proving the potential of the younger generation in astronomical scientific research and international exchange.

As the first large-scale planetarium in China, the Beijing Planetarium has always been committed to cultivating the field of youth astronomy education. It provides abundant educational resources for public astronomy education and has extensive experience and outstanding execution capabilities in organizing competitions and public science activities. The institution is dedicated to offering a platform for high school astronomy enthusiasts worldwide for mutual learning and exchange. It has founded and hosted the Chinese National Astronomy Olympiad for 22 years and has successfully organized the 10th IAO, which it was the first time the event was held outside of Europe.

The 27th International Astronomy Olympiad (IAO) will be held in Beijing, China, in 2023. The IAO is scheduled to run from November 6th to 14th, spanning 9 days. During this period, representative teams from countries such as Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Italy, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Vietnam are expected to participate. In addition to the examinations, the organizing committee has planned a variety of activities, including Cultural Night, a welcome party, lectures by astronomy luminaries, sightseeing tours, and sports and cultural activities.

This late autumn of 2023, let us gather by the beautiful Yanqi Lake to collectively explore the unsolved mysteries of astronomy. This is not just an exchange of knowledge but also a grand celebration for high school astronomy enthusiasts. The astronomical feast awaits you.

Local organizing committee of 27th IAO

 Contact persons: Mr. Li Xin lixin@bjp.org.cn

Dr. Fang Yuanyuan fangyuanyuan@bjp.org.cn

Mr. Yang Bin yangbin@bjp.org.cn