Project
AO Guide
Abstract: A free, online, and comprehensive guide to mastery of Astronomy Olympiads with structured content, practice problems, and community resources.
| Period | Apr 2025 – present |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year, 4 months |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Built with | Hugo, KaTeX, Pedagogy, Astronomy, Olympiads |
| Available at | www.aoguide.app |
About AO Guide
AO Guide is a free, online, and comprehensive guide designed specifically for students preparing for the Astronomy Olympiads. Created by Lilian (a PROMYS 2025 alumnus) and me, this guide fills a critical gap in astronomy education resources.
Complete & Structured Curriculum
The guide covers six major domains of astronomy:
- Positional Astronomy
- Photometry
- Celestial Mechanics
- Stellar Astrophysics
- Galaxies and Cosmology
- Practical Astronomy
Visual & Interactive Content
- High-Quality Diagrams: Complex concepts visualized through professional illustrations
- Mathematical Rigor: Equations rendered beautifully with KaTeX for clarity
- Interactive Elements: Eye-catching components that help internalize complex ideas
- Accessible Design: Optimized for all devices with a distraction-free interface
Community-Driven Development
- Living Document: Continuously updated with new problems, explanations, and improvements based on user feedback
- Global Community: Built by and for the international astronomy Olympiad community
- Open Contribution: Contributors welcome - problems, explanations, improvements all appreciated
- Creative Commons License: Released under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, free for educational use
Why This Exists
Astronomy Olympiads aren’t about memorizing formulas; they’re about:
- Really understanding how things work
- Thinking through problems step by step
- Having the confidence to tackle novel challenges
- Building analytical thinking skills
AO Guide is built to help students develop these skills through targeted, well-explained content and extensive problem-solving practice. Most importantly, it’s completely free and open to the global community, reflecting the creators’ belief that good education resources should be accessible to everyone.
Getting Involved
The project welcomes contributions from:
- Fellow students who spot errors or improvements
- Educators with suggestions for clarity or content
- Anyone interested in sharing quality problems or explanations
- Contributors wanting to improve the code or hosting
Visit the GitHub repository to contribute or join the community on Discord.