On the 17th–18th of April, 2026, delegates from the Nicolaus Copernicus Academy took part in a summary of the 15th Regional Astronomical Competition, organized by the 13th Secondary School in Szczecin.
The competition, under the patronage of the Polish Astronomical Society and the President of the City of Szczecin, is targeted towards 7th– and 8th-grade students of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Its aim is to develop students’ interest in astronomy, deepening their knowledge of the Universe, and inspiring them to conduct celestial observations themselves.
The contest was divided into three stages: on the school, regional and voivodeship level. The final confrontation, between 30 students, took place in the Marine Science Center in Szczecin; this marked the first practical use of the Centre’s observational section. In addition to the theoretical portion of the competition, the participants contended with tasks within the planetarium. Under its domed roof, the students conducted measurements and identified stars, constellations, as well as other celestial objects. This gave them the opportunity to test their skills in near-professional conditions, which enhanced the educational quality of the competition.
During this year’s final award ceremony, on Saturday, the 18th of April, at the hall of the 13th Secondary Scholl in Szczecin, the participants could listen to a lecture titled “From Copernicus to the Edge of the Universe” delivered remotely by Prof. Krzysztof M. Górski – Secretary General of the Nicolaus Copernicus Academy.
“I am incredibly glad, since I, myself, am a professional astronomer, and that part of the Academy’s activity is simply close to my heart. It is my great pleasure to, in this moment, be able to establish a connection with the younger generation. I sincerely congratulate the organizers, the participants, and, most importantly, the laureates.
It is impressive and touching that the level of your interest in astronomy is reaches such height; this especially warms my heart. I also congratulate the parents, as it is largely to them that we owe your already incredible achievements.
I wish everyone future success, and hope to meet you at the International Olympiad stage.”
The Nicolaus Copernicus Academy financed prizes for nine laureates of the West Pomeranian Astronomical Competition. It is also worth mentioning, that, since 2024 our institution reguralry hosts within our walls laureates of the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, including the students of the aforementioned secondary school in Szczecin. Of particular note is the very young age of the winner of this year’s competition – after only one year of physics class, she overcame the difficult and complex calculations of the contest’s tasks.
In his speech, the principal of the 13th Secondary School in Szczecin, Cezary Urban, underscored the difficulty of the competition and the dedication of the young contestants, saying:
“I am overjoyed that there are students in Szczecin, students in West Pomerania, who are able to contend with these genuinely challenging tasks. They need to pass three exacting stages composed of diverse tasks, not just those theoretical in nature. As such, it is a truly, truly demanding competition.”
On the other hand, Dr. Karolina Bloom, director of the Wolszczan Planetarium at the Marine Science Center (MCN – Morskie Centrum Nauki) in Szczecin, drew attention to the role of teachers and the work of developing young talents, noting:
It is truly a great honor and a source of pride to see you and your teachers. Each of your teachers is a diamond cutter who, through their daily work, creates brilliant diamonds. The diamond represents your talent, passion, and determination. It is worth polishing it through hard work to achieve something even more valuable: success, recognition, and the fulfillment of your dreams.
The Szczecin Planetarium is a centre of astronomical education which helps prepare students for competitions and Olympiads at the highest levels.
The Astronomical Competition cannot be properly discussed without emphasizing the role of its initiator and yearslong organizer, physics teacher at the 13th Secondary School in Szczecin, Tomasz Skowron. It is thanks to his determination and passion that, since 15 years, the competition has continued to grow.
“Truly, every year, when talking with teachers, I worry if this competition will still be around the following year, since that does not rely only on me. I would very much want to continue to organize it, but that depends on you – on whether you will enter into it and attend.
I said many times already: ‘No, this year it won’t work out’, since we know very well that there is no astronomy present in schools. But the fact that we continue to host so many participants and receive the support of sponsors is also your success. Some sixty people from over eighteen schools took part in the first phase, and twenty nine participants reached the finals.
As long as you are here – teachers and students – this competition will continue to exist. […] I thank you all for attending, for your effort, and I hope that we will meet once again on the path of astronomy”
Words of respect should also be directed towards the teachers who, every day, stoke the passion of the youth. Among them is Elżbieta Marków from Gryfino, who has, for years, promoted astronomy and engaged in work with students outside of her professional duties. She conducts extracurricular activities and, on her own free time, travels with youth to various events. After competitions, as part of her personal tradition, she invites her students to celebrate together. She is an example of a truly devoted teacher, who is able to support and develop the passion she herself shares with students, and to foster good relationships.
One of the students of both Mr. Tomasz and Ms. Elżbieta is Dr. Piotr Kołaczek-Szymański, an astrophysicist who began his scientific career precisely in Gryfino, continued to develop it in Szczecin, and now himself supports the next generations of young enthusiasts. Currently, he is an adjunct at the University of Wrocław and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Liège. When receiving the Award of the Prime Minister of Poland for an outstanding doctoral thesis, Dr. Kołaczek-Szymański commented on his astronomical adventure in the following words:
I view this award as a recognition of astronomical research among other empirical sciences.
From my perspective, as I grow older, I increasingly notice that astronomy and astrophysics are truly unique compared to other sciences, as they blend strict mathematical theories with profound philosophical questions about the nature of the universe, its meaning, and our place within it.
These questions fuel not only academic discussions but also, often without our awareness, our perception of life depends on how we answer them.
The opportunity to be in the presence of and collaborate with those who strive to solve the endless mysteries of the cosmos is a great privilege.
Source: https://uwr.edu.pl/en/dr-piotr-antoni-kolaczek-szymanski-receives-the-prime-ministers-award/
Organized for 15 years by the 13th Secondary School in Szczecin, the Astronomical Competition proves that – in spite of astronomy’s absence from the curriculum – the passion and involvement of students, together their teachers and parents, makes possible the creation of an event of such scientific and educational value, which translates both to international successes and professional careers.
The Nicolaus Copernicus Academy keep their fingers crossed for the West Pomeranian laureates during this year’s international confrontation!
