Krakow pupil wins astronomical olympiad

Silesian Planetarium: photo - wikipedia

The third and final round, which took in 19 pupils, was held at the Silesian Planetarium in Chorzow, and the top five performers were presented with commemorative coins, telescopes and binoculars.

Contestants in the Polish competition, which is for secondary school pupils, have to prove both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

The final at Chorzow's Planetarium included independent astronomical observations, with contestants keen to prove that they could follow in the footsteps of national hero Mikolaj Kopernik (Nicolaus Copernicus), the legendary Renaissance astronomer who the planetarium is named after.

Winner Pawel Zalecki and the four runners-up are now set to take part in the VII International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics, which begins in Athens on 27 July.

Last year, Polish participants performed with aplomb at the Athens event, coming home with gold, silver and bronze medals. (nh)