Olympiad Vault track
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Organised by: British Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (BAAO), within the BPhO trust — www.bpho.org.uk
This track is authored and taught by a vetted specialist tutor (enhanced DBS checked, sample lessons and marking vetted before they teach), recruited and quality controlled by the founder. The founder does not claim expertise in this subject, and this page does not pretend otherwise.
Competitions covered
Astro Challenge and Junior Astro Challenge (gateways); BAAO Round 1 and Round 2; the IOAA pathway.
Who can enter
Junior Astro Challenge aimed at Year 10 (Years 7 to 11 encouraged); Astro papers up to Year 13, targeted at Years 12 and 13.
Usual timing
Astro Challenge usually September to December; Junior Astro Challenge in October to November; BAAO Round 1 in late November; Round 2 in late January.
Levels in this track
Three levels, one route map
Foundation
The night sky, the solar system and observational basics, plus the GCSE physics the Astro Challenge assumes.
Challenge
Astro Challenge and BAAO Round 1 standard: orbits, magnitudes, telescopes and stellar physics.
Olympiad
BAAO Round 2: extended astrophysics problems, data analysis and the route to the Oxford selection camp.