Entry (scored application, 10 marks)
There is no district round. The entry stage is a scored application file worth 10 marks (motivation statement 5 + SEE/BLE 5) — the only Nepali olympiad that grades the application.
12 resources · 2 papers
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Mechanics · Heat & Thermodynamics · Nuclear Physics · Waves & Optics · Electricity & Magnetism
Study celestial mechanics, astrophysics, and observational techniques to prepare for IOAA and national astronomy challenges.
The Astronomy ladder, level by level — what each round looks like, when it happens, and what to study.
There is no district round. The entry stage is a scored application file worth 10 marks (motivation statement 5 + SEE/BLE 5) — the only Nepali olympiad that grades the application.
12 resources · 2 papers
0 resources · 9 papers
18 resources · 11 papers
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Facts verified from 6 published sources · last updated 2026-10-27
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Showing 30 of 30 resources · 21 of 21 papers
Curated resources for Astronomy.
"The guide goes over pretty much all of the theoretical concepts needed for astronomy olympiads." Prerequisites: "basic understanding of high school level mathematics and physics. Familiarity with calculus and basic mechanics is required." Units: Positional Astronomy (The Sphere · Coordinate Systems · Time · Perturbation in Astronomical Observations · Sun, Moon and Planets) · Photometry (Radiometry · Magnitude Systems · Radiation Mechanism · Detectors · Types of Telescopes) · Celestial Mechanics (Kepler's Laws · Bound Orbits · Unbound Orbits · Orbital Elements · Three Body Systems · Orbital Maneuvers · General Relativity) · Stellar Astrophysics (Stellar Structure · Classification · Binary Systems · Stellar Evolution · Solar System) · Galactic Astrophysics (Galaxies · The Milky Way) · Cosmology (Our Universe · Geometry of the Universe · The Friedmann Equations) · Practical Astronomy. Each unit has an "Advanced Topics" section and a Recommended Reading list.
The IAO/IOAA observational standard. Named in both the official IOAA syllabus (software may be used in practical problems, announced 3 months ahead) and Osish Niraula's Nepal advice document.
The single densest index of free astronomy-olympiad material found anywhere (30+ items, all verified in §4.3)
3D universe exploration; recommended in Nepal's advice document
"A webapp to play with spherical diagrams" — spherical trigonometry is the core of Positional Astronomy
"videos on finding constellations, planets and navigating the sky"
Recommended in Nepal's advice document. Real datasets for data-analysis practice.
Legal open-access general astronomy; the free equivalent of the Kutner text
"learn constellations, stars and Messier objects"
"import your skycharts and practice them online" — direct training for the Observation Round
Named in Nepal's advice document as a core practical resource
"a tool for learning the sky in a game-like manner" — the cheapest route to the IAO Sky Map round
"A really awesome and comprehensive resource for IOAA… Can be followed alongside the guide for a different perspective on topics."
"Covers all aspects of data analysis and most observation skills required for IOAA." Written by a member of Nepal's own IOAA 2025 team. The closest thing that exists to a Nepal-authored IOAA practical manual.
"A very comprehensive analysis of the analemma" — the equation of time is an explicit IOAA A.2.2 syllabus item
"original problems designed to test your physics and astrophysics problem-solving skills"
"contains all the sources used, and more. Many national and international olympiad papers too are available here."
"an archive of problems from various astronomy olympiads throughout the globe. Community-driven and open source"
not re-verified (Mega)
"a community of astronomy enthusiasts and olympiad participants. Great place to ask questions, share resources"
Daily-problem compendium from the Astronomy Olympiad Discord
Directly usable by NSS STEM Club to write Nepali mock papers with correct astronomical typesetting
Bangladesh Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad — the South-Asian analogue
Bangladesh
Useful comparators for Nepal's own advice doc (NEP1). ⚠️ The AO Guide also lists a second India article at bunchofcells.vercel.app/blog/indian-astronomy-olympiads — that URL returns HTTP 404; use the IND1.pdf below.
Bound-orbit mechanics (AO Guide / IOAA A.2.1)
Recommended specifically for astronomy in the AO Guide
"Handouts for USAAAO and IOAA preparation"
Real competition papers, grouped by round and year. Print one and sit it like the real exam.
index live; PDFs geo-restricted
403 to scripts; works in a browser
403 to scripts; works in a browser. Mirror PDF: https://www.dmfa.si/_CmsFiles/2020/11/ioaa-book-.pdf ✅ LIVE (254 pp, downloaded, contains the full official IOAA Syllabus as Appendix A)
What is examined in the Astronomy Olympiad, round by round. Tick items as you revise, or print this page as a checklist (ticks are not saved).
Draft taxonomy — official transcription in progress
Covered by NEB Physics — use the Physics Olympiad roadmap (A-5).
Covered by NEB Physics — use the Physics Olympiad roadmap (A-5).
Covered by NEB Physics — use the Physics Olympiad roadmap (A-5).
Covered by NEB Physics — use the Physics Olympiad roadmap (A-5).
Covered by NEB Physics — use the Physics Olympiad roadmap (A-5).
Once you've grabbed the materials, explore how the topics connect and chart your preparation.
Every official Astronomy topic, placed on the round that examines it first.
Pick a topic to filter the study materials and past papers down to just that area.
Newton's laws, gravitation, circular & rotational motion, SHM and Kepler's laws — the physics backbone of celestial mechanics.
Thermodynamic equilibrium, ideal gases, energy transfer, black-body radiation, luminosity and Wien's law.
The atom, the hydrogen spectrum, nucleus & radioactivity, and X-rays.
Interference, diffraction, polarization, the EM spectrum, optical instruments, Doppler effect and magnitudes. Junior category adds reflection, refraction and lenses.
Electromagnetic theory and magnetic behaviour; the junior syllabus adds circuits, induction and terrestrial magnetism.
Solar structure, the Sun–Earth relation, solar wind & radiation, and eclipses.
Atmosphere, longitude & latitude, tides, seasons, meteors and aurorae.
The Earth–Moon system; planets, dwarf planets, asteroids and comets.
Stellar life cycles, nebulae, star clusters and the HR Diagram — plus Hand Measurement/Sky Navigation and Bayer Designation, three NAO-unique, high-yield skills.
Galaxies, dark matter & dark energy, the origin of the universe, and the Hubble–Lemaître law with its significance.
Satellites and human exploration missions.
Statistics, trigonometry, coordinate geometry, transformation, polynomials and conics — the tools every other section uses.
Junior category only — fundamental & derived units and the relationships between them.
Junior category only — atomic structure, electronic configuration, valency, bonding and the modern periodic table.
⚠ No Nepali material — self-study required
IOAA A.3 — naked-eye & instrument observations, sky maps, magnitude estimation, error calculation, graphing and statistics. Half of all IOAA marks; the NAO closed camp tests it too.
A representative problem from Astronomy.
Featured problem coming soon
We verify every statement against an official source before it appears here. No fabricated problems ship to production.
Every stage of the ladder, what each one tests, and what to do this week.
Apply with a scored file worth 10 marks: motivation statement (5) + SEE for Seniors / last final exam for Juniors (5). The only Nepali olympiad where the application itself is graded.
What to do this week
Outcome — Application scored; eligible for the Provincial Round
Two-hour entrance exam at 7 provincial centres: 30 MCQ × 2 + 3 long questions × 10 = 90 marks, plus your 10 application marks.
What to do this week
Outcome — Qualify for the National Round
Assignments, projects and basic data-analysis tasks. Small reports; simple observational tools such as paper telescopes.
What to do this week
Outcome — Assessed; ready for the closed camp
Seven-day national closed camp in Kathmandu: theoretical tests, data analysis and observational astronomy (often paper-based), following the IOAA syllabus structure.
What to do this week
Outcome — Trained on the IOAA syllabus; mock exams completed
Merit lists of 40 students each (Senior and Junior) are published.
Outcome — On the National Merit List
Selection for IOAA, IOAA-jr, IAO, OWAO and APAO as per the invitations received — based on merit plus interviews with students and their parents.
What to do this week
Outcome — Named to a national delegation
Hybrid training covering advanced problem-solving in theoretical and observational astronomy, data analysis, telescope handling and the practical skills needed to compete.
What to do this week
Outcome — Prepared for international competition
Represent Nepal. The IOAA is 600 marks: 300 theory + 300 practical (Data Analysis 150 · Telescope 50 · Sky Map 50 · Planetarium 50).
What to do this week
Outcome — IOAA · IAO · IOAA-jr · OWAO · APAO
Official contacts for the Astronomy Olympiad, and the content gaps we are working to fill.
National organiser — runs the NAO and selects all international delegations
NASO Chairperson · Team Leader IOAA 2016, 2024, 2025, 2026 & OWAO 2026
Team Leader IOAA 2016, 2024, 2025 · IOAA-jr 2026
Team Leader IOAA-jr 2026
NAO Provincial Coordinator (Koshi)
NAO Provincial Coordinator (Madhesh)
NAO Provincial Coordinator (Bagmati)
NAO Provincial Coordinator (Gandaki)
NAO Provincial Coordinator (Lumbini)
NAO Provincial Coordinator (Karnali)
NAO Provincial Coordinator (Sudurpashchim)
International governing body — IOAA & IOAA-jr
National olympiad recognition (कार्यविधि २०८२)
No district tier and no feeder below the Provincial Round
Nobody teaches students how to score the 5-mark motivation statement (10 of 100 entry marks)
NAO has no negative marking — students crossing over from the Maths DMO carry the wrong guessing instinct
NASO's only two published past papers (NAO 2019 Senior/Junior) are dead links — the files were deleted
No cross-link between Physics and Astronomy although NAO Senior sections 1–5 are pure NEB Physics
No material teaches the three NAO-unique topics (Hand Measurement/Sky Navigation, Bayer Designation, HR Diagram)
Zero NAO Round-2 or Closed-Camp papers have ever been published
No data-analysis training — worth 150 of the IOAA's 600 marks (more than all three observation rounds combined)
No observational-astronomy training — half the IOAA is practical and Nepal has 0 IOAA medals
No Nepali-language (नेपाली) astronomy material
Nepal's five contest pathways (IOAA · IAO · IOAA-jr · OWAO · APAO) are not explained to students
Topic tree should be re-based on the two official NAO syllabi + IOAA A.2/A.3
The 7-day Closed Camp has no published curriculum
No consolidated, sourced record of Nepal's astronomy achievements (awards scattered across blog/FB/press)
Pick a topic, follow the constellation, and start building toward the Astronomy national round.