Hungarian students achieved a clean sweep at the 10th Central European Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (CEOAA), held from 3–5 July in Avber, Slovenia. All five team members returned home with medals, underscoring Hungary’s strength in science education and international academic competitions.
Dorottya Elekes earned a gold medal, while Panni Elekes and Bálint Dobák received silver. Eszter Bartucz and Ede Jakab were awarded bronze medals.
This year’s CEOAA featured student teams from five countries: hosts Slovenia, along with Hungary and Croatia, and guest teams from Austria and Saudi Arabia. The event was organized by the Slovenian Association of Mathematicians and Physicists in collaboration with Cosmolab.
The three-day Olympiad tested students across four challenging rounds. Participants solved theoretical problems in astronomy and physics, processed real sky observation data, demonstrated sky knowledge through paper-based observation tasks, and completed practical telescope-based exercises to showcase their observational and instrumental skills.
The competition followed the high standards of the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), serving as both a qualifying and training event for future international contests.
Beyond competition, the Olympiad emphasized cultural exchange and team-building. On the final day, students from different countries collaborated in mixed teams, fostering international friendships and cooperation.
The Hungarian delegation’s preparation was coordinated by the Athletica Galactica team, which has been organizing astronomy Olympiad activities for Hungarian high schoolers for over a decade. The organization maintains close ties with neighbouring countries, especially Slovenia and Croatia, and co-hosts an annual ‘mini-Olympiad’ to support cross-border scientific collaboration and training.
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