Astronomy Olympiad Preparation — Online Coaching

Olympiad problems reward deep understanding and clean reasoning under time pressure. We build both: the theory from first principles, and the habits that turn it into points.

Who it's for

Students preparing for national astronomy and astrophysics olympiads and international competitions such as the IOAA — whether you are aiming for your first qualifying round or a place on a national team.

What we cover

Celestial sphere and coordinates
Timekeeping: sidereal and solar time
Kepler and Newtonian orbits
Magnitudes and photometry
Telescopes and optics
Stellar physics
Spectroscopy
Data-analysis and observational rounds

Competitions

We work from the syllabus and past papers of the competition you are entering. Typical timing for the main ones (checked 8 October 2026 — always confirm on the organiser's site):

Competition	Where	When
Olimpiada Astronomiczna	Poland (secondary schools)	First stage in autumn (problem sets solved at home), second stage in January, final in March. Run in Polish; lessons can be in Polish on request.
NSEA → INAO	India	NSEA (stage I): 21 November 2026. INAO (stage II): 30 January 2027.
USAAAO	United States	Registration in January, first round in February, national competition in April. USAAAO runs free training for students who advance and does not endorse paid preparation.
BAAO	United Kingdom	Competition rounds run from autumn through winter; the UK team is chosen at a training camp.
IOAA	International (national teams)	Held once a year. The 2026 edition took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, 25 September – 5 October.

Preparing for a different national olympiad? Most follow the IOAA syllabus closely — tell me which one and we'll use its past papers. Starstuff Academy is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any olympiad organiser.

How lessons work

Each lesson is a live video call with a shared whiteboard. We mix a short theory segment with timed problems from past papers, and use the simulations on this site to check intuition. Between lessons you get a problem set; we go through your solutions together, focusing on method, estimates and units.

Worked example: an exoplanet's radius from its transit

Problem. A space telescope sees a star dim by 0.72% (7200 ppm) once every few days. Spectroscopy gives the star a radius of $R_\star = 0.85\,R_\odot$ . Estimate the planet’s radius in Jupiter and Earth radii.

Idea. While the planet is fully in front of the star, it blocks a fraction of the stellar disk equal to the ratio of the two areas. Ignoring limb darkening and light from the planet itself:

\delta \approx \frac{\pi R_p^2}{\pi R_\star^2} = k^2, \qquad k = \frac{R_p}{R_\star}.

Solution.

k = \sqrt{\delta} = \sqrt{0.0072} \approx 0.0849

R_p = k\,R_\star = 0.0849 \times 0.85 \times 6.957\times10^{8}\ \text{m} \approx 5.02\times10^{7}\ \text{m}.

With $R_\mathrm{J} = 7.149\times10^{7}$ m and $R_\oplus = 6.371\times10^{6}$ m, that is $R_p \approx 0.70\,R_\mathrm{J} \approx 7.9\,R_\oplus$ — a planet a little smaller than Saturn.

Check the assumptions. Limb darkening makes the real depth depend on where the planet crosses the disk, so olympiad answers usually quote this as an estimate. A grazing transit would give a shallower dip and an underestimate of $R_p$ .

Start with a trial lesson

A 30-minute trial costs €10. We set goals and you see how I teach. After that, lessons are €30 for 60 minutes, or less with a pack.

Book a €10 trial lesson See all prices

Questions

Which olympiads do you prepare students for?

National astronomy and astrophysics olympiads and international-style competitions such as the IOAA. We work from past papers and the official syllabus of the competition you are entering.

When should I start preparing?

Ideally several months before the first round. Theory takes time to settle, and the data-analysis and observational rounds need practice. Starting later still helps — we focus on the topics that score most.

Do you cover the data-analysis and observational rounds?

Yes. We practise reading real data, estimating uncertainties, fitting straight lines by hand and with a calculator, and the sky knowledge that observational rounds test.

How much maths do I need?

Algebra, trigonometry and basic calculus cover most olympiad problems. Spherical trigonometry is taught from scratch when we reach the celestial sphere.

How are olympiad lessons structured?

Each lesson mixes a short theory segment with timed problems. You get a problem set to try before the next lesson, and we go through your solutions together.