Team India showcased a commendable performance at the 17th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 17 to 25. The five-member Indian team won one gold and four silver medals, placing India in the eighth position overall among 52 participating countries.
Karnataka’s Daksh Tayalia secured the gold medal, while Maharashtra’s Aayush Kuthari and Sanidhya Saraf, Telangana’s Banibrata Majee, and Bihar’s Panini each earned silver medals. The IOAA competition involved 232 students and featured rigorous challenges across three components: theory, observation, and data analysis, along with a mixed-nation team competition.
The theoretical segment included complex questions on topics such as galaxy cluster mass estimation, asteroid orbit calculations, and black hole accretion discs. The observational component required participants to use a Galileo-scope to measure the coordinates of an artificial star, adding to the competition’s high level of difficulty. Despite strong competition, Team India’s achievements underscore the country’s growing prowess in the field of astronomy.
India is now all set to host the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in August next year. The announcement was made on the official Facebook page of the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR.
Picture Credit – https://www.newsonair.gov.in/
